"What did the horse in Holyoke, Massachusetts, call the farmer who lived on the farm next door?"

Okay, so "What did the horse in Holyoke, Massachusetts, call the farmer who lived on the farm next door?" Figured it out yet? No? Well, here's the answer! The horse on the farm next door to the farmer in Holyoke, Massachusetts, called the farmer his neighbor, of course! [Original Riddle by MarashGirl©2022]

An Original Riddle Inspired By The Farms Of Western Massachusetts!

What did the farmer in Holyoke, Massachusetts, call the horse on the farm next door? Or rather, let's put it another way: what did the horse on a farm in Holyoke, Massachusetts, call the farmer who lived on the farm next door? (Check in tomorrow for the answer!) [Original Riddle by MarashGirl©2022]

Don't Know Why, But In The Midst of All This Snow, Marash Girl Is Remembering Summer Saturdays In Sturbridge Before The Tornado

Years ago, several years before the 2011 summer tornado hit Massachusetts, Marash Girl and her family would not only summer in the old cabin on top of Wilbraham Mountain, but would often spend time there at the end of a work week, leaving late on a Friday afternoon from the eastern side of the Bay State to arrive in Wilbraham about an hour and a half later, traffic allowing. On such weekends, Marash Girl would often drive on Saturday afternoons down from the top of Wilbraham Mountain, east to Sturbridge, Massachusetts, to join the artists, writers, musicians, and poets of the area, all meeting at a restaurant's coffee shop, if only for a cup of coffee and some words of encouragement. (Marash Girl was honored to be welcomed into the group . . .) But as Marash Girl's father would have said at this juncture, "Those days are gone . . . forever!" N.B. Should any of you reading this blog be one of the artists, writers, musicians, or poets that used to meet in Sturbridge in those days, please comment below! Or email!

Fourth of July in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts

Shirley Tashjian, God rest her soul, was the heart of the Fourth of July in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts.  As every year, the Fourth of July Parade paraded directly by her house, she would celebrate the occasion, setting out food and drink for all her friends and the random passerby who caught her eye!!! All Marash Girl's children loved the Fourth of July Parade in East Longmeadow, as did all kids!  Not only was it colorful and musical with popular tunes played by bands from the many towns in and about East Longmeadow, but most of the folks marching in the parade carried pocketfuls of candy that they would toss to the kids that had gathered along the side of the parade route to cheer the paraders on.    Deron remembers numerous local politicians marching in the parade, leaving the parade for a moment to walk over and shake hands with Marash Boy who, at that time, was employed by Gralia Construction in East Longmeadow.  The politicians (Brian Lees, Richie Neal, and the last two or three Mayors of Springfield, Massachusetts) would greet Marash Boy by name. leaving the parade for a moment to walk over to the side of the road and shake Marash Boy's hand!!!

But that was years ago.  Marash Girl wonders if the Fourth of July is still the same without Shirley Tashjian in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts.

The Barns of Western Massachusetts

The barns of Western Massachusetts housed not only the animals, but the tramps who walked in from the train station in the cold of winter -- no longer could they live out in the woods -- they needed a warm place to stay, a place warmed by the animals in the barn, and, if the farmer's wife was kind, she would invite the man (women were never seen as tramps in Western Massachusetts) . . . the farmer's wife would invite the tramp in to eat at the family table.

Or, as Medzmama experienced in the city of Springfield, Massachusetts, the tramps would come to the back door and ask for food, food which she would always gladly give them, as she had experienced hunger and loss in her youth during the "aksoroutioun", known today as the Genocide of the Armenians by the Ottoman Turks.  She had tramped, as it were, not in the cities, but into the deserts where the problem was not only to keep warm (during the nights), but to keep hydrated during the days, to keep from getting sunstroke and heat stroke.  Oh, what our parents/grandparents experienced was far more than the tramps, for our parents had to care for those around them -- they were not alone to do what they would with their lives -- they were a part of a family, if only the human family, the Armenian family that was becoming smaller every day from the ravages of hunger and thirst and disease and hopelessness.  

Now how did Marash Girl ever get here from thinking about the barns in winter in Western Massachusetts?

Canadian Geese visit Cedar Pond in Sturbridge, Massachusetts

 Canadian Geese at Cedar Pond, Sturbridge: "We lost our room key."            Photo by Marash Girl

Quick Trip Through the Brimfield Antiques Fair, Brimfield Massachusetts≈

A World of Neckties!

Note the Revolver front left!

Prayed for Peace

Garden faucet handles as colorful as the flowers they water!

Take your pick!

Merry Christmas 1892

Have a Coke!  Or some hot peppers?

Medzmama's Kneading Bowl?

It'll cure what ails ya!

Sea-Ya!

Add an outboard motor to your rowboat and off you go!

Don't row, row, row your boat!

Hmmmmmm.

Cecchi's Farm, Agawam, Massachusetts

Cecchi's Farms, perhaps one of the last surviving farms in Agawam, Massachusetts, continues to supply the greater Springfield (Massachusetts) community with the freshest in local produce.

"Corn so fresh the ears still wiggle!"

Heirloom tomatoes, a la Cecchi's Farm

Cecchi's baby potatoes are as colorful as his heirloom tomatoes!

Many years ago, Medzmama (Marash Boy's Mom) used to look forward to the first frost when Farmer Cecchi became her hero, as he would allow her to go onto the fields and harvest tiny baby eggplant so that she could pickle the rarely prepared Armenian delicacy, stuffed baby eggplant, Marash Boy's favorite, and candied eggplant "patlijan datlusu".

St. Mark's Armenian Festival, Springfield, Massachusetts

Deciding which old favorites to play next are Armenian musicians ( l. to r.)  Dave Ansbigian - guitar; Joe Sarkisian - dumbeg & vocals; Bob Raphalian - oud; Leon Janikian - clarinet

           

Arriving later than she would have liked, Marash Girl spent most of yesterday afternoon at St. Mark's Annual Festival, dancing barefoot on the grass to the Armenian music of Leon Janikian, clarinet; Dave Ansbigian, guitar; Joe Sarkisian, dumbeg & vocals; Bob Raphalian. oud. Old country Armenian songs (and the newer  "Catskillin Jampah" played at the request and to the great amusement of the dancers) delighted hundreds of folks from all over the Springfield area (and from all over the world), folks visiting one another as they feasted on shish kebab, pilaf, salad, and home made Armenian pastries.

Folks of all ages enjoyed the festivities!

Waving a white handkerchief,  Haig Rakijian leads
 the ladies in the ancient steps of the traditional Armenian "bar".  Photo by Marash Boy

So taken by the Festival was the rain that it awaited the end of the picnic before displaying its down-pouring powers!

 

September, along Route 20, Western Massachusetts

Overheard: The Potter's Shed, Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, Massachusetts

Potter, Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, Massachusetts
Photo by Marash Girl

"Can I have one of your pots?" asked the little boy, intrigued with what he saw being shaped from a lump of clay.  

"Sure . . .," answered the old potter.  "Can you come milk my cows in the morning?  That would earn you a pot!" 

 "Now there's a novel idea for earning your allowance," quipped the hopeful boy's mother.

But the boy, unphased, answered without pause, "If you get a cow, I'll milk it!"    

GRAPHY JERRY against the Wall - Northampton, Massachusetts

"Long Live Graphy Jerry"  Photo by Marash Girl

Who is Graphy Jerry and why is he celebrated on this back wall in Northampton, Massachusetts?  
Marash Girl thinks that this could be an image of Jerry Garcia. What are your thoughts, dear reader?

"Apprivoiser": More Handwriting on the Wall - Northampton, Massachusetts

"Apprivoiser" veut dire "creer des liens."    Photo by Marash Girl

Written in chalk on a back brick wall in Northampton, Massachusetts, is the above quotation from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince -- translated, it means, "To tame or domesticate means to create links or ties."  When the little prince is talking to the fox, the fox says (and here Marash Girl is paraphrasing), "In order for me to become friends with you, you have to create ties with me, you have to tame me . . . "  "Well, what does that mean?" asks the Little Prince.  The fox answers,  "Every day you have to come at the same hour, and every day you must come a little bit closer to me until you tame me. . .  "

Why did a chalker take the time to stop and scratch "Apprivoiser veut dire creer des liens" onto the brick?  Only because s/he happened to have a piece of chalk in the right hand and a brick wall on the left? Who, we should ask the chalker, is the prince, and who, dear chalker, is the fox? Or, as the little prince asked, "What does it mean?"

The Handwriting on the Wall - Northampton, Massachusetts

"Norwottuck Land -- Go Home Bastaniak"   Northampton, Massachusetts, August 24, 2013
Photo by Marash Girl 

 "The Native American settlement at what is now Northampton was called Norwottuck, or Nonotuck, meaning: "the midst of the river." It consisted of a core area where clan meetings and elders' councils were held. This area included communal cemeteries and probably sweat lodges used for curing. The meadows were planted with maize, beans and squash. Throughout the homeland area stood dozens of wigwams, sometimes in small hamlets. An extensive network of paths joined each clan's members and connected Norwottuck peoples to their kin who lived in nearby homelands centered around present-day Hadley, Deerfield and Northfield. The Norwottuck homeland also included several small, fortified areas, one of which was located on what is now called Fort Hill."  . . . . from Historic Northampton

"How does your garden grow?"

On a recent visit to Sturbridge Village, Marash Boy called out to the farmer,
 "What are you growing there?"

Without pause, the 19th Century farmer answered, "Potatoes . . . and weeds!"

How many people are dead in that cemetery?

At a recent visit to Sturbridge Village, Marash Girl decided to take the official "tour" of the main street in the village.  The tour started in front of the cemetery, next to the Congregational Meeting House, and began with the tour guide saying, "The first question everyone asks me?  'Is anyone buried in this cemetery?'  The answer is, 'No!'"  
"But where do the authentic grave stones come from, then?" asked Marash Girl.
"Folks donated the grave stones to Sturbridge Village . . . " the guide answered.  
Marash Girl asked, "Why would folks donate gravestones of the dead to Sturbridge Village?"  
"Oh, they're only the foot stones of the graves!"  
None the less, it made Marash Girl wonder!

Tour guide at Sturbridge Village

The experience brought to mind a joke that Peter loved to tell every time he was driving past a cemetery, which was often enough!  

Here's the joke:

"How many people are dead in that cemetery?"  Folks in the car who had never heard the joke before would venture a guess . . . "200?  400?"

Peter would laugh and answer, "All of them!"

If he were with Marash Girl at Sturbridge Village last week, and asked the question, he would have laughed when the tour guide would have said, "None of them!"

Footstones in "pretend cemetery" at Sturbridge Village

Photo Credits: Marash Girl

Leather Jackets & Motorcycles in Springfield, Massachusetts

Kenar tries on a black leather jacket for her ride through the corridors of the Springfield Museum of Fine Arts!

Remember 7th Grade? Mugsy McGovern? Reed Murphy? Wolfie Boven and the gang? That's where Marash Girl first experienced black leather jackets, "DA's" and gangs!  Years later, (that is, on July 5, 2013), she was allowed to try on one of those black leather jackets and hop on one of those bikes!  As she couldn't take a picture of herself, Marash Girl photographed Kenar (see above) who apparently in her youth rode up and down Monson Road in Wilbraham, on the back of an Indian Motorcycle, one of the motorcycles built at the Indian Motorcycle factory in Springfield, Massachusetts, while the "tester" tested the latest model of the Indian Motorcycle on the S curves of that road, the S curves that have long since been eradicated.  As her sister wrote after seeing the photo, "Fantastic!!!  She looks great!  Better than riding and hanging on the back of a young guy testing Indians up and down the S curve in Wilbraham back during WW II."

Check out the exhibit -- it's worth the trip to the Springfield Museum of Fine Arts in Springfield, Massachusetts, and don't forget your camera!

East Longmeadow Reverses Fourth of July Parade Route

A bit confusing for the onlookers, the East Longmeadow 4th of July Parade, for the first time since its inception, marched along Elm Street from the west to the east rather than from the east to the west. The old folks who, through force of habit, looked expectantly to the right were forced to reverse the twist of their necks to look hopefully to the left (that is if they lived on the West side of Elm Street), and the old folks who, through force of habit, looked expectantly to the left were forced to reverse the twist of their necks (or cross the street) to look hopefully to the right (that is if they lived on the East side of Elm Street).  The turnaround was disappointing for all who live on Elm Street, because by the time the parade participants arrived at Elm Street, approaching the finish line, they were too exhausted (granted the temperature was 96 degrees fahrenheit with almost the same number in humidity) to engage in their typical antics and interactions with the crowd.  Even the folks who yearly throw handfuls of candy to the kids were (apparently) out of candy, or at the very least, out of the energy to toss the candy to the outstretched hands of the hopeful!

[To see a few of Marash Girl's photos of the East Longmeadow Parade, scroll down.]

East Longmeadow Celebrates the Fourth of July

24 hours before the celebration began, residents of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, had their chairs lined up along the parade route, ensuring them a front row seat to the festivities on the 4th.

           Local dignitaries march in their shirt sleeves on a 93 degree 4th of July morning.

 

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Lobster Rolls in Monson, Massachusetts?

Marash Girl, a lover of lobster, and especially lobster rolls,  returning from a (sad) visit to Wilbraham, consumed  (in totality) the king of lobster rolls.  On a toasted bun and covered with melted butter, the lobster roll, served hot, (can you believe it?) was full of succulent large, tender pieces of lobster.  Upon asking the owner why she served her lobster rolls hot, she answered,
"My husband comes from New Haven. The folks in New Haven always serve their lobster rolls hot!"



An unlikely place to stop if you didn't know better, CJ's  hot lobster roll is worth the trip out Route 20 to Monson/Palmer, Massachusetts:

371 Wilbraham St, Palmer, MA 01069 (413) 283-2196

 And for those of you who prefer burgers to lobster, CJ's offers your choice of 2 hamburgers, 2 cheeseburgers or 2 hot dogs with fries for $4.99!!!

You can eat outdoors or more sedately indoors in a rather nicely paneled dining area.

The only reason you might think twice about stopping at CJ's (if you didn't know better) is its location, right next to the  Magic Lantern, a strip joint that's been going strong on Route 20 (Boston Road), Monson, MA since at least the 1940's!