At Least One Barn Left Standing . . .

                                                                                                                          Photo by Marash Girl
 At least one Newtonville barn has survived the 20th Century Barn Burning in Newton, Massachusetts

This barn still stands on a street north of Washington Street in Newtonville,
behind the spot where Grandpa Moses's pool room once stood.

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."  MLK    
Photo credit: Lorig Charkoudian, Washington, DC

Boy Scout Helps Little Old Lady Across The Street

One of Marash Girl's favorite stories is about the Boy Scout who was intent on helping a little old lady cross the street.  No matter how much the little old lady insisted that she needed no help crossing the street, the Boy Scout persisted, determined to help the little old lady cross the street.  Finally, having achieved his goal, the little old lady turned to the Boy Scout saying, "But I didn't want to cross the street!"

A Reposting from Facebook

Years ago, Kenar and Marash Girl collected Armenian Nursery Rhymes from Medzmama when the little ones were little.  Those rhymes are somewhere deep in the files, to be discovered one day (soon, Marash Girl hopes).  In the meantime, please accept this reposting from Facebook with thanks to Maro Nercessian Katalaris.  Can anyone out there provide a translation?

Maro Nercessian Katalaris 2:54am Aug 4 Armenian Nursery Rhyme/ Lullaby Aintab mothers said to their children. Remember Armenian language was spoken differently back then. Djor, Djor, Djor Mama, Djorig maman jam g'erta Gorgod abour bish enna, Yeghe vran khesh enna. Kkachon oude, josh enna, Lop, Lop Ashenna.

Stopping by Water on a Sunny Sunday (With a nod to Robert Frost)

Years ago, folks (including Marash Girl's family) would go for a ride, driving west along the old Boston Road (now Route 20).  They would stop at springs along the way, springs along the roadside, to fill their gallon-sized jugs,  jugs folks always carried with them in their cars, thermos jugs with spouts from which clear, cool spring water would flow hours later at the picnic grounds.  There were no Howard Johnson's, no Macdonald's.  Just a big picnic basket and a big thermos jug, and a car full of happy people, three generations of happy people.

"SHAME ON NAUSET CONSTRUCTION"

Common Street, Belmont, Massachusetts:  "Shame on Nauset Construction"  

Why? What's going on?

THE END OF AN ERA

A RE-POSTING WITH SYMPATHIES TO THOSE SUFFERING HURRICANE HARVEY

Originally posted Sunday, August 28, 2011

Hurricane Harvey: Police Cars, Police Boats, Police Helicopters

There's a hurricane coming, and the police are going through coastal neighborhoods to warn folks to leave their homes while they still can.

A police car approaches a house along the rising waters where a man is sitting and rocking on his porch.  Come with us, said the police.  The waters are rising and your life is in danger.  There's a hurricane coming.

Don't worry, answered the man.  God promises that He will take care of me.

Hours pass, the waters rise, and the man has moved to the second floor of his house where he is sitting in a rocking chair and looking out of the window.

A police boat approaches.  Come with us, said the police.  The waters are rising and your life is in danger.

Don't worry, answered the man.  I'm stayhing right here.  God promises that He will take care of me.

The waters continue rising, and the man is now sitting on his roof, waiting patiently.

A police helicopter hovers over the roof and drops a ladder down to the lonely man.   Come with us, said the police.  Your life is in danger.  The waters are rising and will soon cover your house.

Don't worry, answered the man.  God promises that He will take care of me.

Soon the waters cover the roof of the house, the man drowns and goes to Heaven.

St. Peter comes to the gates.  Yes, what can I do for you?

I want to speak with God, said the man, a bit annoyed.  One moment, said St. Peter.  Come with me.

When the man sees God, he asks, God, what happened?  You promised you would take care of me, and here I am, dead.

God answers, I sent you a police car, a police boat and a police helicopter! What more did you want?

At WBUR's Fundraiser 2016

WBUR's Tom Ashbrook in center of photo

Thanks to Martha McCool for finding the above photo on WBUR's website.

Are you a NIMBY?

Marash Girl had never heard the expression NIMBY before Wednesday night!  In case you haven't heard, the letters mean, NOT IN MY BACK YARD, referring to folks who support subsidized, mixed income housing in the suburbs, but not in their corner of the woods!

Don't Forget the Baking Powder!

What a difference a teaspoon of baking powder makes!  In her rush to make banana bread for Arax's birthday party, Marash Girl forgot to add the baking powder!  The banana bread tasted great, but its texture was more like chewy cardboard.  Sorry, Arax!

Happy Birthday, Arax!

                                                        Pears from the pear trees in Wilbraham.

If you're going shopping with your husband . . .

If you're going shopping with your husband, make sure you stay together.  Marash Boy and Marash Girl made the mistake of splitting up to speed the process up, and guess what happened?  We bought two of everything, of course!

Did you know?

Did you know that if a pedestrian is standing on the corner on the sidewalk, waiting to cross the street at a crosswalk, an automobile may not drive across that cross walk?  Marash Girl was kindly reminded of the fact as she attempted to make her way up Highland Avenue, yesterday, from Walnut Street.  It took her longer than she thought to arrive at the Bablouzian household to offer her condolences for Barkev's passing.  In fact, it was probably Barkev from on high who whispered in the ear of the "arresting officer", the arresting officer who finally agreed to allow Marash Girl to proceed to Barkev's home with only a warning in hand.

"Ask not for whom the bell tolls . . . "

This morning, Marash Boy asked Marash Girl, "What time is your funeral?"

She shouted back, "I don't know what time MY funeral is, but Barkev's funeral services are at 11 o'clock this morning."

Barkev, may God rest your soul.

Cousins at Barkev's Hokjiash, basement of Armenian Memorial Church, Watertown, Massachusetts
  l.to r. Rosemary Gabonlyan Koch, Armen Barooshian, Pauline Bilezikian  Barooshian
Standing In Background: Salpi Bablouzian holding her great grandchild.

Kenar Braving the Total Eclipse of the Sun Yesterday!

Though all of us here in New England were warned not to look directly at the eclipse of the sun without adequate eye protection, few of us bothered to acquire said protection, but Kenar in Oregon sure did!

High Finance!

Marash Girl stopped at the end of a yard sale yesterday and found a jigsaw puzzle which had not yet been attempted, although the box was open and pieces in the box were loose, so she would have been taking a yard sale chance purchasing that particular puzzle, but chance it she would.  Speaking to the woman who was selling the puzzle, she asked if the woman would accept $1 rather than $3 for the puzzle -- after all, it was the end of the day, the puzzle was still sitting there, and the puzzle pieces were loose inside of the opened box.  Incensed, the owner of the puzzle answered, "Forget it.  I'll put the puzzle together myself next time I'm on the Cape!"  which is exactly when Marash Girl was planning to put that puzzle together. . .  

May God welcome you into His kingdom, Cousin Barkev

                                                                                                                                                              Photo by Marash Girl

May the Lord bless you and keep you,  may the Lord make His face to shine upon you and give you peace, dear cousin Barkev Bablouzian.

Photo by Marash Girl taken at a Marashtsi event many years ago.  (Possibly the 100th year commemoration of the Union of Marash Armenians.)  Barkev Bablouzian (his wife Salpi to his right)  pointing to a Marash embroidery that his mother Armenouhi Bilezikjian Bablouzian made.

Steaming Open an Envelope, Nancy Drew Style

While on vacation in Chatham, Marash Girl taught her grandson Raffi how Nancy Drew would have steamed open an envelope that had been sealed and needed to be secretly opened.  Here you see Raffi practicing what Marash Girl preached!

Tell it to the priest!

At a recent yard sale, a woman asked Marash Girl if she could have the candlesticks in question for 50 cents rather than $5.00 because the woman was buying it for her church.  Marash Girl replied, "If it's for the church, you can have it for free."  The woman insisted that she should be 50 cents for the candlesticks.  Marash Girl insisted that if the candlesticks were for the church, she should take them for free.  The woman, looking chagrined, walked away without the candlesticks.