"Free Armenian Prisoners Of War"

"Free the Armenian hostages illegally detained by Azerbaijan!" May 18, 2021 - Armenian Mirror Spectator - Activists (photo Jean Eckian)

Today is National Hole In My Bucket Day!

Marash Girl and her children used to love to sing "There's a Hole in My Bucket" during their rides to Wilbraham, Massachusetts, those wonderful summers before the tornado destroyed the cabin and the trees on top of Wilbraham Mountain. Below, although in Marash Girl's memory, are the lyrics (somewhat amended) as taken from the internet...Please feel free to sing along. There's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza, There's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, a hole. Then fix it dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry, Then fix it dear Henry, dear Henry, fix it. With what shall I fix it, dear Liza, dear Liza, With what shall I fix it, dear Liza, with what? With a straw, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry, With a straw, dear Henry, dear Henry, a straw. But the straw is too long, dear Liza, dear Liza, The straw is too long, dear Liza, too long. Then cut it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry, Then cut it, dear Henry, dear Henry, cut it! With what shall I cut it, dear Liza, dear Liza, With what shall I cut it, dear Liza, with what? With an ax, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry, With an ax, dear Henry, dear Henry, an ax. But the ax is too dull, dear Liza, dear Liza, The ax is too dull, dear Liza, too dull. Then sharpen it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry, Then sharpen it dear Henry, dear Henry, sharpen it! With what shall I sharpen it, dear Liza, dear Liza, With what shall I sharpen it, dear Liza, with what? With a stone, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry, With a stone, dear Henry, dear Henry, a stone. But the stone is too dry, dear Liza, dear Liza, The stone is too dry, dear Liza, too dry. Then wet it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry, Then wet it, dear Henry, dear Henry, wet it. With what shall I wet it, dear Liza, dear Liza, With what shall I wet it, dear Liza, with what? With water, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry, With water, dear Henry, dear Henry, water. But how shall I get it?, dear Liza, dear Liza, But how shall I get it?, dear Liza, with what? With the bucket, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry, With the bucket, dear Henry, dear Henry, the bucket! But there's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza, There's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, a hole.

Never Know What You're Going To Find At A Yard Sale!

Photo by MarashGirl©2021

On Rolling Out Lamejun Dough

Growing up on Lowell Avenue in our 2.5 family home, Marash Girl's mom, auntie, and Grandma Yepros would gather round the kitchen table to roll out dough that had been rising for several hours into flat circles in preparation for making lamejun (Armenian meat pies). After having kneaded the dough, having let it rise, having shaped the risen dough into balls the size of tennis balls, and having allowed the shaped balls of dough to rise again (covered with a damp cloth so the balls of dough wouldn't dry out) for an hour or so, Marash Girl's auntie, mommy, grandma and Marash Girl would gather round the kitchen table to roll those risen balls of dough (balls the size of tennis balls) into circles (or as near to circles as we could make them) before we covered those circles of dough with a mixture of ground lamb meat, chopped parsley, chopped onions, and crushed stewed tomatoes. It is interesting to note that the only one of us who could roll those balls of dough into perfect circles was. . . you may have guessed it . . . my Grandma Yepros. . . my dear grandma who was sightless . . . yes, my grandma who was blind could roll those balls of dough into perfectly shaped, flat circles in order to make perfectly shaped lamejun.

My Iris Bud Has Bloomed!

Photo by MarashGirl©2021

Flowers On My Mind!

And flower buds in my front garden!

Photo by MarashGirl©2021

MAKE A WISH!!!

According to a childhood belief, if you pick a dandelion puff, make a wish, take a deep breath, blow on that dandelion puff, and if your puff blows all the dandelion puff's seeds away, your wish will come true! (The fewer puffs you take to clear the dandelion of it's puffy seeds, the sooner your wish will come true!!!... A lot of if's . . . and a lot of puffs!!!!) Below Photo by MarashGirl©2021

TURKEY SAUNTERS ACROSS MAPLE AVENUE . . .BUT THANKSGIVING IS NOWHERE NEAR!!!!

A turkey taking a late afternoon stroll on Sunday afternoon surprised the locals, although the turkey felt perfectly comfortable, as Thanksgiving is months away, and the turkey, apparently, knew that fact!!!

Photo by MarashGirl©2021

FLOWERS ON A SUNNY SUNDAY MORNING

Photo by MarashGirl©2021

PAUSING ALONG THE CHARLES RIVER ON A SUNNY AFTERNOON

Photo by MarashGirl©2021

One Shed Left From The Old Days . . .

Photo by MarashGirl©2021

Want A Better View? Rock Above The Bush!

Photo by MarashGirl©2021

A SIGN OF THE TIMES: STOP GUNSTORES IN NEWTON!

Photo by MarashGirl©2021

What's that? An Ironing Board?

Photo by MarashGirl©2021 What was that sitting out on the curb on Mother's Day? An ironing board? Have you young folks ever seen one? Can you old folks figure out a better use for this one? There it was, sitting all alone on the sidewalk . . . Someone was certainly making a statement on Mother's Day!

Tow Zone In Boston?

Photo by MarashGirl©2021

A Saunter Through The Park

Photos Below by MarashGirl©2021

NO GUNSHOPS IN NEWTON, PLEASE!

A LETTER TO MAYOR OF NEWTON RUTHANNE FULLER FROM A LONG TIME CITIZEN OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS I, born and brought up in the City of Newton, one who attended Newton Public Schools from kindergarten through 12th grade, one who has worked for the City of Newton at Newton High School, a former member of the Newton Parks and Recreation Commission, am writing to you with great concern. Allowing the opening pf a gun shop, albeit next to a marijuana shop (get high and grab your gun?) in Newtonville, less than a mile from Underwood Elementary School, Bigelow Junior High School, and a little over a mile from Newton North High School … such an action on the part of your office Is unconscionable, unacceptable, unwise, and certainly not in the best interest of Newton’s citizenry. Please do all in your power to prevent the possibility of guns being sold in the City of Newton. (Signature withheld to protect the author of the above letter.)

Elizabeth Warren On Reducing Gun Violence

From: Elizabeth Warren Date: May 10, 2021 at 7:39:33 PM EDT Dear "Marash Girl", Thank you for contacting me about guns. I meet mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, grandmothers and grandfathers who have lost children and grandchildren to gun violence - communities of people whose days will forever be marked by loss. I meet them, and I promise we will not forget. The facts are simple: over 100 Americans die every day from gun violence. Five of those people are children or teens. That's five a day, every day - young bodies piling up by the thousands year after year. If five children were dying of a mysterious illness every day, our country would do everything in its power to stop it. We must do the same for the epidemic of gun violence. Massachusetts has some of the toughest laws in the country. But strong gun laws in Massachusetts won't stop someone from going to a gun show in New Hampshire or Maine, states that don't require a permit or license to buy guns, and bringing those guns across the border. Congress must act. Our communities have demanded action to curb gun violence, but the Senate continues to fall short. When faced with the chance to vote for a bipartisan compromise to ensure that universal background checks prevent dangerous people from purchasing guns - something that 90% of Americans support - a minority of U.S. Senators blocked reform in 2013, again in 2015, and again in 2016. I support measures to improve background checks for gun purchases, increase penalties for gun trafficking, limit the size of ammunition magazines, and reauthorize the expired ban on military-style assault weapons. I will continue to speak out and to support efforts to pass a comprehensive set of reforms to reduce gun violence. There is no single solution for ending gun violence, but we must do better. We must honor the memory of those we have lost to gun violence and protect our children and families from these terrible tragedies. I will keep your thoughts in mind as I continue to look for other steps we can take. I believe that it is my responsibility as a United States Senator - and as a mother and grandmother - to reduce gun violence. Sincerely, Elizabeth Warren, United States Senator

A Walk In The Spring

Photo by MarashGirl©2021

And Back In The Suburbs . . .

Photo by MarashGirl©2021

Walking Further Along Newbery Street On Mother's Day . . .

Photo by MarashGirl©2021

Second Shot?

Have you gotten your second COVID-19 shot? Since Marash Girl and Marash Boy had not yet received theirs, they decided to celebrate Mother's Day yesterday afternoon by heading into Boston to get shot #2. Entering the cavernous Hynes Convention Center,they waited only a short time to receive their shots, shots placed directly into their upper left arms -- and painless, surprise, surprise! During their walk back to the car, they were rewarded by an unexpected meeting and chat with artist Eric (pictured below) at the corner of Boston's Newbury and Hereford Streets.

From Marash Girl's Front Porch. . . .

Photo by MarashGirl©2021

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

To all mothers-to-be, mothers, grandmothers, great grandmothers, great great grandmothers, and great great great grandmothers . . . here's wishing past, present, and future mothers a very Happy Mother's Day!!! Photo by MarashGirl©2021

Medzmama and Stubborn Stains!

When Marash Boy's mom Azniv (which means Grace in English, and she was, indeed, full of grace) . . . To begin again . . . When Marash Boy's mom Azniv was elderly and living with Marash Boy and Marash Girl, she (known to all of us as Medzmama) would delight in removing stains that no person, (not even the advertised miracle cleaners) could remove. "These stains may be stubborn, but I'm more stubborn!" she would often proudly announce. N.B. Medzmama was an Armenian woman born in Marash,Ottoman Empire, and was a survivor of the genocide of the Armenian people.

"Pennies From Heaven" or . . .

Visiting Blogger John Harutunian writes . . . My late mom, Karmille [Der Sahakian] Harutunian was a young pupil of about ten years old in Soviet Armenia around 1924. One day in class, the teacher, intent on brainwashing her pupils, suggested, “Why don’t we all bow our heads, close our eyes, and ask God for candy?” They did--and of course nothing happened. The teacher then suggested, “Why don’t we try bowing our head, closing our eyes, and asking Lenin for candy?” Unfortunately for the teacher, my mom was not only a bright little girl, but her father, Rev. Mardiros Der Sahakian, was a Congregational Protestant Minister. So little Karmille must have sensed that something was up. She sneaked a peek up to the top of the classroom. And up there she glimpsed a man -- raining candy down upon the children! Author's note: My mom was from Hayastan, indeed from Yerevan. My parents met in the USA; my father, who I think was living in Watertown at the time, started attending Rev. Der Sahakian’s church services in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Of course it’s possible that he might have noticed Karmille at some social gathering (perhaps at Tremont Temple in Boston) before that--so his interest wasn’t only in my grandfather’s church!

Գարուն, Գարուն, Գարուն է!

Photo by MarashGirl©2021

Sharing Our Neighbor's Flowers With You !!!

Photo by MarashGirl©2021

Elephant In The Church Parking Lot

Photo by MarashGirl©2021

Grandma Yepros and the Missionaries

Grandpa Moses had come to the United States of America ahead of his wife Yepros and his children -- Gulenia, Paul, Peter and Rosie == for various reasons that cannot be discussed here. Soon after he arrived (knowing no English) he was able to secure a job working in the Vermont quarries, and renting a room with a Swedish family (which accounted for the fact that he spoke English with a Swedish accent). He was able to save most of his earnings, intending to send that money to his family in Marash . . . He gave the money to the missionaries from Boston to carry back with them to his family Marash. Fast forward . . . In Marash, when Grandma Yepros learned that the missionaries were coming to visit, she borrowed food from her neighbors (which she would spend many months repaying) in order to prepare a feast honoring the missionaries. When the missionaries arrived and saw the table covered with plenty of food, they decided not to give the money Grandpa Moses had sent to Grandma Yepros (as seeing the plenty set out on the table , they decided she needed nothing), but rather to give that money to the poor folks who were seriously in need . . . Needless to say, they did not understand the tradition of the Armenians in Marash . . . that tradition of honoring guests by offering them all that you have in your pantry . . . Seeing that Grandma Yepros was not in need (or so they surmised, not understanding the ARmenian tradition), they did NOT give the money Grandpa Moses had sent to Grandma Yepros, but rather decided to give it to other folks who were more in need . . . thus leaving Grandma Yepros in worse financial straits than ever before . . .

And Speaking of Lilacs . . .

Lilacs, armfuls of lilacs that, every spring, Grandma Jennie (Marash Girl's mummy) would gather from the ancient lilac bush at the front of the family's big old white, wooden two-family house on Lowell Avenue in Newtonville . . . the living room and dining room soon redolent with the beauty and perfume of the purple lilacs . . .

Young Lilacs Peeking Through The Old Porch Fence

Photo by MarashGirl©2021

Happy Anniversary, Anoushigner!!! սիրեմ քեզի, նիշա ... սիրեմ քեզի, հովհաննես!