Remembering Auntie Nectar's Farm

One summer Sunday afternoon, many years ago, during a family visit to Auntie Nectar's farm in Hopkinton (in the old days, about an hour west of Boston along Route 20 by car), ten-year-old Marash Girl was happily walking barefoot through the grass when poison ivy first met with the bottoms of Marash Girl's bare feet . . . and this, much to the dismay of all the adults who watched with horror and shouted out warnings. . . but the warnings came too late . . . the poison ivy was already crushed under Marash Girl's pobik dodiks. The miracle was that Marash Girl's feet did fine . . . no poison ivy followed her feet home, thank the Lord! Marash Girl still wonders if the poison ivy survived to tell the tale.

Meeting Sue Grafton at a Book Store in Manhattan

Such a surprise met Marash Girl years ago, when she walked into a bookstore in Manhattan only to notice that her favorite author of mysteries -- Sue Grafton (May she rest in peace) -- was signing books in preparation for a booksigning soon to occur later that afternoon. So gracious was Ms. Grafton, that she cheerily chatted away with Marash Girl (someone Ms. Grafton had never met before) as Ms. Grafton continued signing the books that the author knew would fly out of the store later that afternoon . . . as soon as her booksigning talk was over. The connection was so real that Ms. Grafton and Marash Girl continued communicating by email for years . . . That meeting is of Marash Girl's favorite memories . . . and Sue Grafton is and always will be one of Marash Girl's favorite authors. Such sorrow when Marash Girl recently learned that Ms. Grafton had passed away several years ago May the Lord welcome Ms. Grafton into the Kingdom of Heaven!

Be Grateful For Small Surprises!

Marash Girl's Lobster Cactus has three blooms on it, even though the weather is cold and the skies are grey!!! Hooray for the Lobster Cactus!

Curious, Are You?

Photo ©MarashGirl2020 With thanks to John Simmons for reducing the size of the photo for this blog post.

Akşam Olsa, Yatak!

Born of Armenian parentage in Marash, Ottoman Empire, a survivor of the genocide of the Armenian people, Marash Boy's grandmother Nartouhi was living with her son and his family in Springfield, Massachusetts when Marash Girl first met her. As late afternoon would approach, she was often heard intoning the following words: "Akşam olsa, yatak!" (Translation: Were it evening, we'd go to bed.)

Orange From Birth?

Is an orange orange from birth? No checking on the internet!!! Just check in with Marash Girl in a couple of days to find the answer! And don't feel bad if you don't know the answer. . . Marash Girl learned the answer only after a trip to California during a visit to Marash Martha's back yard orange orchard!

A BABBLING BROOK?

A brook that babbles? Or should I write "babels"? Does a brook really speak all the languages of the folks at the famed Tower of Babel? Ref. Genesis 11:1–9

Remembering Sunday Trips To Ferjulian's Farm in Hudson, Massachusetts

Not during the winter months, but often, on a summer's Sunday, Uncle Paul would drive us to Ferjulian's farm in Hudson, Massachusetts . . . a beautiful trip through country roads to a beautiful farm to get beautiful produce and an ice cream treat on the way home!!!! Was it from Ferjulian's farm that Grandpa Peter bought the tomato plants for his backyard garden? Was it from Ferjulian farm that Uncle Paul purchased the young fruit trees planted along the border of our back and side yards in Newtonville? Thank you, Daddy, for the fresh vegetables throughout the summer and autumn days of our childhood . . . Thank you, Uncle Paul, for the wonderful fruit fresh off the trees in our back yard . . . and thank you Mummy, Daddy, Uncle Paul, and Auntie Zabelle for our childhood full of love, wonderful food, and wonderful adventures!

Knitting Is Knotting

Knitting is simply knotting in an orderly fashion. . . Did you know that? Would that we could always turn life's knots into knits, or, to put it another way, "Would that we could always turn a problem into an easy solution!!!" It's easy if when you're knitting . . . not so easy in life, though.

Junk Mail A Problem?

Junk mail a problem? Well . . . if your kids are all grown up, and they no longer use junk mail for crazy collages on a cold winter's day . . . and if you've given up on your efforts at contemporary art . . . Marash Girl has a solution to offer. Simply stuff each envelope of junk mail into its very own postage paid return envelope, and hand that envelope to your mailman on his next trip to your home ... you’ll never hear from that company again, according to Marash Martha!!! Marash Girl tried Marash Martha's suggestion, and . . . guess what!!! Marash Martha was right on! No more junk mail from that company!!!

A Pincushion?

Is there anyone out there who knows what a pincushion is? (No cheating . . . no looking up online!) A prize awaits the first correct answer!

"Just get her married!"

Blog for Wednesday, February 17, 2020: Told to Marash Girl's father when Marash Girl was applying to colleges: "Why do you want to waste your money sending her to college? Just get her married!"

REMEMBERING HOWARD ZINN

Photo by MarashGirl©2009 Above photograph of Howard Zinn taken many years ago by Marash Girl at the home of Howard Zinn in Auburndale, Massachusetts ... From the internet: "Howard Zinn (August 24, 1922 – January 27, 2010) was an American historian, author, playwright, and social activist. He was a political science professor at Boston University. Zinn wrote more than 20 books, including his best-selling and influential A People's History of the United States." SEE http://marashgirl.blogspot.com/2011/03/remembering-howard-zinn-peoples-history.html SEE https://www.theamerican.co.uk/pr/int-Bianca-Bagatourian-The-Time-Of-Our-Lies N.B. or "Nota not so Buena"! Howard Zinn passed away on the same day as Marash Girl's father Peter.

STILL SAVING SAFETY PINS?

Marash Girl just found a little chain of tiny safety pins in the living room on the marble-topped coffee table. "What's this?" she asked. Marash Boy was quick to answer. "I couldn't throw them away! Don't you remember? Growing up, we would always be reminded to save safety pins . . . reminded by our grandmothers, if not first by our mother!!! We always had a long chain of safety pins in the left hand drawer of the kitchen cabinet!!!"

շնորհավոր ծնունդդ, լորիկ!

շնորհավոր ծնունդդ, լորիկ! Hope you can still read Armenian!!!!

A SPECIAL POEM FROM A SPECIAL POET

https://poetryandplaces.com/2021/02/07/wambaw-creek-by-krikor-der-hohannesian/ Be sure to copy this link and enjoy the poem entitled Wambaw Creek!!! Marash Girl promises you . . . you won't be sorry!!!

Missing Autumn In New England?

Here's a great recipe for Pumpkin Bread! Don't have any pumpkin? Following the recipe for Pumpkin Bread, and, ensuring that all ingredients are at room temperature, simply substitute equal amounts of cooked, peeled, seeded, and mashed butternut squash (at room temperature) for the pumpkin called for in the recipe, [the oven should be preheating while gathering the ingredients and preparing the batter,] place the batter in well-greased baking pans, bake, let sit for a few minutes before removing from pan, serve, and the aroma will take you right back to autumn in New England! Marash Girl followed her own advice (above), and the Butternut Squash Bread came out even better than her Pumpkin Bread!

When Is A Yard Not A Yard?

When is a yard not a yard? Ready for the answer? A yard is not a yard when it's a stick . . . a yardstick! Riddle Copyright Marash Girl 2021 This is the blogpost for tomorrow, so you learned the answer a day early. Lucky you!

Ready For Another Riddle? Here Goes!

When is a yard not a yard? You have a day or two to come up with the answer!

What kind of brush do you want to avoid at all costs? Here's your answer!

What kind of brush do you want to avoid at all costs? Marash Girl received no answers to this riddle, so are you ready? She's going to give you the answer right now. What kind of brush do you want to avoid at all costs? A brush with the law! Riddle Copyright MarashGirl 2021

On The Road To Bombay

One day, years ago, Judith K.E. related the following to Marash Girl. My parents were traveling in India, (Judith related), and one day, while walking along the streets of Bombay, an Indian resident of the town, a native, came up to Judith's parents and asked,"Are you American?" Of course, they answered, "Yes." "Do you know Marash Girl?" And, flabbergasted, they answered, "Yes!" But they were in such a state of wonderment that they never thought to ask how the gentleman knew Marash Girl. Marash Girl herself still wonders who that gentleman could have been and, not to coin an expression, but "how in the world" did he know Marash Girl?

Remembering A Sunday School Chorus Marash Girl Learned Years Ago From A College Classmate!!

Jesus wants me for a sunbeam, To shine for Him each day... In every way try to serve Him, At home, at work, at play. A sunbeam, a sunbeam, Jesus wants me for a sunbeam. A sunbeam, a sunbeam, I'll be a sunbeam for Him. Thank you, MJ, for teaching Marash Girl this children's chorus while we were still college classmates. Although Marash Girl has forgotten much that she learned in college, she has never forgotten the words or the tune to this song. She sings it to this day.

"It's snowing down south!!!"

"It's snowing down south!!!" Anyone remember that expression? Anyone know what it means? Anyone know what a slip is? Anyone remember when women used to wear slips? In the not so old days, women (no matter how young) couldn't wear pants to school; they had to wear dresses, or skirts and blouses. If a gal's slip was showing below the lower hem of her dress or the lower hem of her skirt, she would be reminded by all around her that she should correct the problem (immediately if not sooner), the critic reminding the errant young woman by using the code words, "It's snowing down south!!!" Now, dear reader, Marash Girl must ask you. "Do you know what a slip is?"

Sage Advice from Ben Lifson

While attending Graduate School at Yale University, Marash Girl was fortunate to have known Benjamin (Ben) Lifson, a graduate student at Yale as well . . . and self-appointed philosopher of the day. The primary bit of advice that Marash Girl remembers Ben having shared with her (and they were good friends, no more than that) follows herewith: "Never go to bed angry with your partner; if you don't first defuse whatever the issue, you won't sleep well, and it certainly won't bode well for the relationship!" Good advice, wouldn't you say?

Skating on Bullough's Pond!

Bullough's Pond, where, many years ago, Marash Girl's mother taught Marash Girl to ice skate . . . Bullough's Pond . . . where, many years later, Marash Girl and her junior high school friends played CRACK THE WHIP (all of them on ice skates on frozen Bullough's Pond . . .) with Marash Girl at the end of the whip: when the whip snapped (or should I say "cracked"), young Marash Girl fell and . . . CRACK . . . yes . . .. Marash Girl had fractured her elbow!!! Ouch! And yes . . . Bullough's Pond . . . you guessed it . . . Bullough's Pond . . .where Marash Girl taught her four children to ice skate.

Napping on the "A" Train in New York City

Judith Kirshner (Eger), Marash Girl's college classmate and dear friend, grew up in Brooklyn, New York. After graduating from college, Marash Girl would travel to Brooklyn to visit Judith. And, of course, traveling between Brooklyn and New York City, the two young women experienced many adventures. As Marash Girl thinks back to those days, she finds it hard to give credence to the fact that, at the end of the day, a day of escapades in Manhattan, Marash Girl and Judith would be so tired, that after boarding the "A" train, they would stretch out on the seats of the subway car, seats on opposite siet off the train at the right stop... Believe it or not, that's the truth, and Marash Girl is stickin' with it!!! And here's a photo of Judith taken years after she and Marash Girl rode the "A" train together.

On Giving Away An Old Book

Are you sure you want to give away that book? Was the original owner of the book a person of fame or importance? Does the book have its dustjacket? Is it (both the book and the dustjacket) in pristine condition? Have you checked the book for signatures, former owner's identification (even if only a glued return address label), inscriptions, bookmarks ($5 bills?). . . these are often worth more than the book itself . . . and if the book was originally owned by a famous person, his/her underlinings or notations would add value to your book!!!

The Recipe for Orange Juice Cake

What drama!!! Marash Girl's mom, who, Marash Girl has to admit, was from an Aintabtsi family . . . not a Marashtsi family . . . and thus an amazing cook . . . Okay . . . let's start again. Marash Girl's mom always wanted the recipe for Orange Juice Cake, a cake that her cousin would make to the great acclaim of all. When that cousin finally agreed to share the recipe, try as they could, none of them -- Marash Girl's mom, Marash Girl's sister, and Marash Girl herself -- none of them could ever get the recipe to turn out properly. The cake always fell!!! So it is with great hesitation that Marash Girl tries to bake an Orange Juice Cake (a recipe she found on the internet yesterdayt), as Marash Girl has not yet tried to make the cake, and because of her childhood experience, fears to even try to make it)! Nonetheless, with a snowstorm heading this way, she may just cast aside that fear, and see what happens. If the recipe works, Marash Girl will let you know and provide the online link to the recipe. Fingers crossed!