New Year's Eve Parties?

There was a time when Marash Girl and Marash Boy were invited to, perhaps, ten New Year's Eve parties every New Year's Eve . . . The parties were fun! But one year, Marash Girl and Marash Boy decided to have fun alone (together) . . . neglecting to notify (as it was a last minute decision) the many friends who had sent them invitations. And, as they used to say in the old days, "That was the end of that!" . . . Whoops . . . Marash Girl meant to say, "That was the end of the invitations . . ." . . . not to imply that that was the end of Marash Girl and Marash Boy deciding to have fun alone (together)!

"Who would want a dishwasher?"

Marash Girl, (being rather snippy, don't you think?) once asked her mother, here known as Grandma Jennie, the following quesion: "Who would want a dishwasher?" Grandma Jennie looked at Marash Girl rather strangely, as if to say, "This daughter of mine does not understand? Have I really spoiled her that much?" What Marash Girl's mother's daughter did not understand, was that doing the dishes especially at the end of a festive meal, was a time for the women (and yes, it was only women in those days) . . . time for the women to socialize, gossip, joke, with no men around (hmmm . . . wonder what those jokes were all about . . . ) N.B. And further . . . that when it was not a festive meal and the other women were not around to socializa, gossip, and joke . . . the woman of the house would be there doing dishes all by her lonesome. Not so much fun!!!

On Speaking Armenian . . .

Although Mummy (known to the kids as Grandma Jennie) spoke only Armenian at home when she was growing up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as soon as her maternal grandmother came to live with Mummy and her family, the whole family began to speak, and continued to speak, only Turkish because that was the only language that Grandma Jennie's grandma understood. Why? Do you really want to know? Marash Girl hesitates to write this because it is so painful, but in certain areas of the Ottoman Empire, at the turn of the last century (that's the 19th to the 20th, NOT the 20th to the 21st), if you were caught teaching, speaking, or reading anything other than the Turkish language, . . . well, there's a family whose name is dilsiz which translates into English "without a tongue" . . . need Marash Girl comment further on this subject? Or, as the Armenian folks often said (in Turkish), lep deyerse, leplebou anliar!!! Don't understand? It translates into English, "When someone says chick, one understands chickpeas." Or, as the folks who grew up speaking English would say, "Need I spell it out for you?" N.B. See http://marashgirl.blogspot.com May 19, 2015 no-Armenian-in-Marash

Artists, Where Are You?

There was a time in Marash Girl's life when she knew not one person who was NOT an artist. Presently Marash Girl knows only one woman who is an artist and one man who is an artist. (Both are painters.) What's going on? Is it this writer? The times? Or the place? Or is Marash Girl's definition of "artist" too narrow?

Let's Pause For A Moment To Remember . . .

Let's pause for a moment to remember Marash Girl's Daddy Peter, Marash Girl's Mummy Jennie, Marash Girl's Uncle Paul, Marash Girl's Auntie Zabelle, Marash Girl's Grandma Yepros, Marash Girl's Grandpa Moses, Marash Girl's Grandma Yester, Marash Girl's Grandpa Garabed, Marash Girl's Great Auntie Mary, Marash Girl's Great Uncle Jack, Marash Girl's Auntie Lydia, Marash Girl's Uncle George . . . Marash Girl should . . . but can't go on . . . Such a wonderful family, such wonderful memories!

Christmas Caroling in Newton Corner

HARK, THE HERALD ANGELS SING! O COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL! O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM! SILENT NIGHT . . . O, HOLY NIGHT! GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN! GOD REST YE MERRY GENTLEMEN! JOY TO THE WORLD! Christmas caroling on Christmas evening with Grandpa Peter and Howard Zinn (yes, THE Prof. Howard Zinn) sitting on the sofa in Marash Girl's living room, Karoun on the flute, Deron on the violin, Marash Girl on the piano, and Nisha and Lorig leading the choir of neighbors gathered around the living room singing with gusto . . . no matter what their beliefs! How Marash Girl misses those days!!!

Krisdos Dznav Yev Haidnetsav!

"Krisdos Dznav Yev Haidnetsav!" If you're Armenian, you know that this is the manner in which Armenians greet one another on Christmas. And if you're Armenian, you know that this . . . "Ohrnyal Eh Dznoutioun Krisdosi!" . . . is the Armenian Response to the Armenian greeting on Christmas. Translation from the Armenian: Greeting on Christmas: "Christ is born and has been revealed unto us." Response to Greeting on Christmas: "Blessed is the birth of Christ!" Years ago, Uncle Paul, Daddy's older brother, tried to teach us kids the Armenian greetings appropriate for the various Armenian religious holidays. Invariably, we would interchange the Christmas greeting and response (which you see recorded above -- yes, Marash Girl still remembers that greeting) . . we would interchange that Christmas greeting with the Easter greeting, "Krisdos haryav y merelotz!" "Christ has risen and conquered death!" (Marash Girl will record the response to that greeting on Easter!) Rather than being mean and chastising us with a sharp correction, Uncle Paul (born in Marash) would laugh and ask, "How can Jesus be risen from the dead when Jesus has just been born?" N.B. Above image has been borrowed from the internet. Thanks to whomever posted it!

Is Santa Claus real?

Marash Girl was always asked that question by her children: "Is there really a Santa Claus?" And of course, the answer was, and is, "Yes!!!" Didn't know that? You can figure it out, Marash Girl is certain!

Biding Your Time Until Christmas? Or Whipping Up A Storm?

Try Marash Girl's Original Riddle . . . . "Why did the little girl hear crying from inside the refrigerator?" Give up? Take a minute before you read the answer below which, as you may notice, has been written backwards to protect the innocent and discourage the peekers! Answer: Deppihw neeb dah ti esuaceb gniyrc saw maerc yvaeh eht. c. 2020 MarashGirl

Takoma Park Celebrates Christmas

A reader of Marash Girl from Takoma Park, Maryland, a Representative in the Maryland House of Representatives, writes of the Generosity Of The Takoma Park Community. "This past weekend, Takoma Park, Maryland, celebrated the Christmas Season with a massive food distribution event, a free toy store set up by a mutual aid organization, and a toy drive. What I observed, beyond the tangible items was our community looking out for neighbors in need, I felt the generosity of spirit that surrounded us and saw countless acts of kindness. We must all bring this same transforming energy to policymaking to build a more just economy and nation devoted to equity and equality in all areas of our lives. I look forward to working with all of you in the next Legislative Session to bring those ideas and that compassionate spirit to fruition."

Remembering the Christmas Eve Parties of Yore on December 23, 2020

Blog for December 23, 2020 Here we go a-caroling . . . whoops! Wrong house!!! Every one in the neighborhood came to Marash Girl's and Marash Boy's house to sing Christmas carols around the Christmas Tree -- early on, neighbor and well-known sculptor Lloyd Lillie on the piano, Deron on the violin, Karoun on the flute, vocals by Nisha and Lorig leading the chorus of guests singing with gusto! Even Prof. Howard Zinn joined in!!! And the dining room table was laden with tasty treats, among which included Armenian Christmas Pudding, paklava, kadayif, and even fancier Armenian treats prepared by Grandma Jennie and Medzmama. But as Grandpa Peter would have said, were he here reminiscing with Marash Girl today, "Those days are gone . . . forever!"

On Studying Armenian in Marash

Blog for December 22, 2020 Uncle Paul would often recall his days in grammar school in Marash, Ottoman Empire. This is how Marash Gril remembers his telling the tale. "In Marash, we all had both Armenian textbooks and Turkish textbooks. The class would be taught in Armenian, until we heard the tromp of footsteps . . .the Ottoman Turkish soldiers approaching the classroom door . . . at which point we would sit on our Armenian textbooks, open our Turkish textbooks, and the teacher would begin teaching in Turkish as we answered her questions in Turkish . . . so that when the soldiers burst into the classroom, they would be satisfied with what they heard and saw." Marash Girl can't imagine growing up under those circumstances, but many of her ancestors did grow up in exactly those circumstances . . . many Armenians survived to tell the tale, . . . but, sad to say, many did not!!!

Remembering Medzmama, Grape Leaves, and the Wilbraham Library

What connection could there possibly be between the Wilbraham Library and grape leaves? Wanna know? Just read on! One day years ago, late summer, Marash Girl drove most of the family (her children and Medzmama) down the Wilbraham Mountain to the Wilbraham Library . . . the children to search for good books to read, and Medzmama to search for grape leaves, tender enough for making sarma! As Medzmama was carefully selecting grape leaves, (carefully searching for the leaves that were large yet still tender enough to make yalanchi,) a young man happened by. "Here," he said. "Let me help you pick the grapes . . . those are the grape's leaves that you're picking!!!!"

Attending Live Performances with Mummy and Daddy

Whenever Marash Girl's family attended a live performance, whether theatrical or musical, whether amateur or professional, while awaiting the rise of the curtain, Marash Girl's mother, Mummy, would always scan the list of performers, looking for the names that ended in "...ian", and upon finding those names . . . those Armenian names . . . Mummy would beam, grinning from ear to ear, so proud that Armenians were a part of the performance . . . so proud to be Armenian!

BMB Loves BMB!!!!

Once her sister, brother, cousins and neighbors learned that Marash Girl had the same initials as the handsome young neighbor boy, (initials in title changed to protect the innocent), the chanting began! BMB loves BMB! BMB loves BMB! BMB loves BMB! BMB loves BMB! So the chant continued. "BMB loves BMB! BMB loves BMB! BMB loves BMB!" Unnerving to say the least, and a bit scary, as the chanters and the two BMB's were all still in elementary school!!! Yesterday, when Marash Girl looked for BMB on the internet, she learned he had passed away two years ago. May God rest Marash Girl's childhood friend's soul and welcome her friend, BMB. into God's Kingdom.

"Wag More, Bark Less!"

Above Photo of Bumper Sticker Taken by Marash Girl the Day Before Yesterday's Snow Storm

FAREWELL TO THE KOHAR CALENDAR SERIES

For many New Years now, Marash Girl has been heartened by the gift of the KOHAR Calendar coming her way from far away Beirut, Lebanon. Yesterday, she received notice that the KOHAR Calendar 2021 will be the last of the KOHAR Calendar series. A heartfelt thanks to the KOHAR Library for all the calendars they have sent in past years, with Marash Girl's best wishes for the future of KOHAR Library. Should you wish to email the KOHAR Library, you may email info@kohharlibrary.com

Farewell to Stellina's!

Marash Girl and her family and friends loved Stellina's . . . a restaurant where new friends would meet and old friends would greet!!! Marash Girl and her family and friends shall miss the food, the service, and the Author Evenings where an author would present his latest publication, talk about the writing of it, entertain questions from the audience, and later, have dinner with those who chose to stay and indulge in the delicious selections from Stellina's menu. Marash Girl arrived early one day for an author presentation...so early that there was only one other person in the audience -- a fellow beside whom she sat. The two looked at eachother, smiled and attempted to engage in conversation. Marash Girl began. "Well, we can't talk about religion, we can't talk about politics, we can't talk about sex . . . I guess we'll have to talk about the book . . . except we haven't read it!!!" Remembering those days . . . but as Marash Girl's father used to say (as he was remembering his old days), "Those days are gone . . . forever!" We shall miss you Stellina's!!!

Turkeys on Tuesday

Photo by Marash Boy, !2/15/20

Massachusetts Scientist Writes Marash Girl Concerning COVID

Massachusetts Scientist Writes To Marash Girl Concerning COVID. "I've seen some concerning thoughts and opinions expressed recently by people I know personally, regarding the idea that the risk of COVID in the community is exaggerated and/or that the measures recommended by public health professionals are excessive. Forwarding things like this and/or presenting them as authoritative is extremely irresponsible, self-centered and shortsighted. "I have spoken extensively to many friends and colleagues who are physicians and have worked directly in the ICU with the patients who are stuck on ventilators for weeks or months due to COVID. I have read the data in the New England Journal of Medicine and other reputable journals. "People who are sick and dying from COVID are NOT only old or immunocompromised individuals - there are statistical probabilities to predict risk, but there is NO way to tell for sure which individuals are going to get struck more severely or have more long-term consequences. As a community, we have to take precautions to help others - I can’t fathom why this is difficult for people to grasp just because they themselves don’t know people who have gotten sick or died. What if you did know someone who died from COVID? Would that make you feel better about wearing a mask or having a quiet Christmas? "I have personal knowledge (people I know, who are not old, weak or vulnerable) - who have had prolonged effects of COVID after either going to the hospital and recovering or being sick at home for several weeks because they felt they could manage this at home and didn’t want to go to the hospital. "We have hundreds, thousands of physicians and public health professionals who are telling us how to very simply handle this virus - wear a mask, social distance etc. These recommendations are based on medicine, science and data. Reports are rigorously analyzed and peer-reviewed prior to its presentation to the public. "As an additional note, some of the comments I have seen have included the idea that we can protect ourselves from COVID by taking high doses of vitamin D. Please note that it is medically dangerous to take high levels of vitamin D in a pill- (more than 2,000 IU per day) - this should only be done by prescription under the supervision of your physician. Because vitamin D can be stored in your body, you can end up with a condition called “vitamin D toxicity” if you take too much. "If you do happen to be a person who thinks that our public health measures for COVID are a hoax, please stop and think about this a bit. Who would this hoax benefit? Does the government or any private industry (beyond a very few) benefit from some extensive hoax about a pandemic? As a scientist, I can tell you that scientists are not benefiting. We are trying to redirect resources as a whole community to address this huge public health problem. We have had nationwide and worldwide shortages of certain supplies and equipment as we direct them towards necessary research & development. My medical friends and colleagues have been pulled in numerous directions, working extended shifts with insufficient resources because everyone and everything is spread too thin. "Please, please do not spread information that is not based on peer reviewed science. I don’t know when the scientists became the enemy for part of our society, but that was a very sad day." Nisha Charkoudian [Ph.D., Physiology]

"United for Biden"

Joyous and relieved residents of the United States of America, Aline and Lorig Charkoudian celebrate in downtown Takoma Park, Maryland, a few hours after the Biden/Harris win was announced on November 7, 2020.

"United for Biden - Biden/Harris" Photo Credit: Kathryn LaLonde

Sunday Afternoons in Belmont

Often, on Sunday afternoons, Mummy would gather the family together to visit her cousins in Belmont . . . Going way back in time, Marash Girl recalls, in particular, Junior Daghlian at Aunty Lucy's house licking the chocolate batter off of the eggbeaters after the batter had been poured into the cakepan on its way to the hot oven. When visiting Aunty Mogie and Uncle Joe, Auntie Mogie would be placing the second tray of choereg (seasoned with mahleb) into the preheated oven soon after she welcomed us into her home . . . the house already redolent with the promise of what was soon to come! As Marash Girl's father would say, were he living today, "Those days are gone . . . forever!"

On Cutting The Bacon In Half, or, How To Cook Bacon The Easy Way

Preparing bacon (and eggs) for breakfast this morning, cutting the bacon in half (not lengthwise, but crosswise), Marash Girl remembered to thank Grandma Jennie for teaching her how to cook, and, in this case, how to cook bacon evenly and quickly, without leaving the strips of bacon half raw or half burned!!! Here's the secret. Simple but effective. Before opening the package of bacon, cut the package in half widthwise, so that each half has bacon strips of about the same size. Remove the bacon from the one half, and replace the other half package back into the refrigerator, or freezer, first sealing the open end, of course. In this way, the bacon strips you have remaining will fit easily into your frying pan, and you will have an easy time tossing and turning the bacon until the strips are evenly cooked. No more burned bacon . . . unless, of course, you are called away to an urgent telephone call and forget about that bacon sizzling in the frying pan above the flame on top of your stove! N.B. Oh, how we miss you, Mummy (Grandma Jennie)!

EVEN TRUCKS ARE CELEBRATING THE CHRISTMAS SEASON!

Photo ©MarashGirl2020

NIPS IN NEWTON CORNER

Look what Marash Girl found (the day before yesterday) in the gutter outside of the funeral home, across from the church, on Centre Street in Newton Corner!

Photo ©MarashGirl2020 N.B. They appeared to be quite empty, but Marash Girl refrained from checking!

ON MAKING YORGANS FOR THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE (Do Not Read Until Wednesday, Dec. 9)

Blogpost for Dec. 9, 2020 There we were, Mummy, Great Aunty Mary (Grandma Yepros's sister -- Grandma Yepros was blind, so she couldn't help), and Marash Girl . . . sitting crosslegged on the sheet covering the oriental rug on the living room floor in Newtonville, pulling apart wool freshly washed after having been sheered from the sheep on the farm in Hopkinton . . . picking out of the wool any brambles that may have been caught in the wool . . . Spreading that wool evenly across the inside out dobrag (cloth bag soon to be the cover of the quilt), rolling the dobrag up (starting on the closed end) along an old but cleaned broom stick, and carefully unrolling the bag so that the wool was now spread out evenly inside, rather than on the outside of the cloth bag. Carefully tying knots of heavy string equidistantly across the quilt at twelve inch intervals, which hopefully would assure that the wool would stay in place once the quilt was in use, and finally, invisibly stitching the open end of the quilt closed, with a prayer for the good health of the couple who would be using that quilt throughout their marriage. Verchabes . . . we had successfully completed making the "yorgan" for Marash Girl's dear friend Gail and the love of her life, Ron, who were soon to be married!!! What sweet memories . . . But as Grandpa Peter would have commented, were he reading this blogpost today, "Those days are gone . . . forever!" Note: Happy Birthday to you, Gail!!!

Remembering Claflin School and Miss Julia Tobin's 6th Grade Class

The members of Miss Tobin's sixth grade class way back then (Marash Girl is not admitting when) were so disobedient, so noisy, so rowdy, that theirs was the first class to be denied the traditional week-long, sixth grade camping trip to a local summer camp site. (Was it Camp Cedar Hill?) Marash Girl, to this day, grieves (although that's a bit too strong a word) the loss!

Be Careful Walking Along The Sidewalks Of Newton Corner . . . It's Not The Ice!!!!

About a month ago, a little after noon on a weekday in November, Marash Girl was walking along the sidewalk towards the Newton YMCA, minding her own business, when a young man went running by, passing in the same direction, on the outer side of the same sidewalk, swiping Marash Girl, slapping her with his billowing long shirt sleeves! No apologies, no nods, no nothing! Marash Girl wonders whatever this fellow was thinking!!!

Playing Backgammon, But Not For Keeps . . . and Never On Sunday!!!

During winter vacations from public school, Marash Girl and her siblings and cousins loved to play tavla, as we called it -- (nard in Armenian, backgammon for those of you who don't speak Turkish or Armenian). . . we had learned from watching our fathers engage in what seemed to be ferocious competition. The rattle of the dice, the shouts of the players when they realized they had gotten lucky dice (du shesh, shesh besh, juaradu du, du bara),the slam of the backgammon pieces, the annoyance of the seasoned players as they moved their opponents' pieces into the correct slots. For us kids, it was pure fun. We never wagered money or toys; although we knew that backgammon was a popular game with adults, we never knew that in the coffee shops, the stakes were high ($$$) for those who played in backgammon competitions. But we did imitate the shouts of the players (always men, never women) as they (probably, though we didn't understand) cursed in Turkish (Armenians never cursed in Armenian -- as the saying goes, "Armenians pray in Armenian and curse in Turkish!") It is interesting to note, however, that we were never allowed to play backgammon on Sundays!

"What are you looking at?"

©MarashGirl2020 Above Photo Taken The Week Before This Snowstorm!!!

The Music of Her Childhood

Falling asleep last night, Marash Girl remembered the music of her childhood, the clicking roll of the dice, the slam of the backgammon (tavlu) pieces (black though slightly worn, or cream colored, depending on the players' preference), the rhythms that nightly rocked her into slumber. "Juarah du!" "Du shesh!" "Du barah!" "Shesh besh!" The memory, albeit everpresent, was brought to the fore by Marash Girl's reading of the book of poetry now in print for the first time: FIRST GENERATION, Poetic Memories, written by Krikor Der Hohannesian, published by Dos Madres Press.

A must read, from Marash Girl's perspective. To order a signed copy of FIRST GENERATION, Krikor Der Hohannesian's newly published book of poetry, email the poet at krikorndh@verizon.net or order from the poet at the address below: Krikor N. Der Hohannesian 31 Boston Avenue Medford, MA 02155-6721 The cost of the book is $22.00 which includes shipping and handling. Enjoy!

Have You Ever Played "Racing Raindrops"?

Raining outside? No problem for the kids. On very rainy days, especially during elementary school vacations, Marash Girl, her sister, brother, and cousins, would play "Racing Raindrops", a game of their creation. Have you ever played? It's fun! Here's how they did it . . . When it was raining outside, and the kids had little to entertain them, they would go to the dining room window, the window overlooking the dell, then overgrown with white birch trees (a dell which later in their childhood, disappeared when it became a grassy hillside, as the dell had been filled in with the soil from the cavity created when excavating the cellar hole for the yet to be constructed Newtonville Electrical Company on Newtonville Avenue); each kid (at the same moment) would select a raindrop at the top of the window pane, and then follow that raindrop all the way down to the window sill, hoping that his/her raindrop of choice would arrive at the base before the others. If it did, that raindrop's owner won the game!!!! And all of the kids cheered for the winning raindrop!

Are you ready?

Yesterday, the first Christmas carolers of the season came by to sing a timely Merry Christmas wish to Marash Girl, who, of course, immediately joined in on the chorus! But did she have any treats ready for the young carolers? Luckily she did! But do you?

Who Lost A Penny?

Photo ©MarashGirl2020 According to Claflin Elementary School lore, "If the penny's heads up, it's okay to pick up!"