NOW THAT YOU'VE ARRIVED AT MAGYAR-AMERICAN BLOGSPOT, take some time to browse the posts!
Sunday, December 25, 2016
HUNGARIAN CHRISTMAS
NOW THAT YOU'VE ARRIVED AT MAGYAR-AMERICAN BLOGSPOT, take some time to browse the posts!
Saturday, December 24, 2016
CHRISTMAS EVE PRAYER FOR (IMPOSSIBLE?) PEACE
Recently I was with a group of people and one woman asked us all to pray for the survivors of Pearl Harbor. She was of the generation - some call it "the Silent generation" and others "the Greatest generation" - in which her peers were involved in World War II. World War II is not so long ago in history, but what is sure is that it remains a Hollywood film favorite subject, while other wars such as Korean - Viet Nam - and the whole big mess of the Middle East have comparatively few films made about them. Unpopular wars, underreported wars, and wars that are no longer called wars, are going on all the time.
I spoke up and said, "Let's pray for peace instead."
Don't know that my blurt was appreciated, but to me all that was required was a moment of silence or a mental bookmark. You see, I don't actually think there ever will be Peace of Earth, but in the West, at Christmas time, the notion of Peace of Earth is popular. Consider that sometimes in war there are agreements that for that one day of the year, Christmas, there is a "peace fire."
And, I really do think that peace on earth has to begin with each individual, and in Christianity the prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi is my favorite. Yet, for all the empathy called for, in order to understand and forgive others, sometimes I've been considered naïve, a fool, and exploitable for all the give I have. I've been at times sneered at for my hope, faith, belief, or innocence. I have not been testy, suspicious. I haven't asked enough questions. (These days an exploiter will blame the victim, saying, "you didn't do your due diligence.")
So, while I don't think there will ever be peace of earth, and am making no claim to perfection and a straight ticket to heaven, the notion of heaven is very influential. Heaven allows us to imagine a place that is peaceful and joyful, and where everyone else is good!
This is my open mind set for the holiday season.
A week ago I told myself I should start decorating. I managed to get a string of lights up around the door. I pulled out my small artificial Christmas tree, only to discover that a piece of plastic had broken off while it was in storage. Three days later I got out my glue gun and tried to fix the leg on without that piece. It sort of worked.
I went off to Trader Joes, were I planned to buy all the ingredients needed to manifest five different cupcake recipes which I wanted to make to gift. It's been years since I made or gifted baked goods and I remembered the days when Christmas visiting meant indulging in baked goods from many different ethnic backgrounds. Family and friends had married into Italians, Russians, Ukrainians, Poles, Slovaks, Ruthenians, Irish, Germans - we have a Persian - that whole mix that is United States of America - everyone making traditional cookies, cakes, pies, that their ancestors made.
As I made way to the location, I passed by an Armenian banquet hall. Someone must have had a wedding, ordered in numerous floral ornaments for the tables, and when unboxing found one was broken. Outside on the sidewalk was a beautiful gold sprayed branch that had blooming rose petals glue gunned to it! One rose had fallen off and there was a glob of glue. I took one look at it and grabbed it. At home I decided not to use the artificial pine tree at all, but hang my small ornament collection off the branches of this bare limbed "tree." I set it up and it's beautiful. My dog lay in her swirl of blankets looking at the pretty lights.
Then I made the cupcakes. Pumpkin oatmeal spice with no icing. Walnut flax seed with vanilla powdered sugar, dried cherries in the mix and topped with cherry jam, and finally Ghirardelli Chocolate (from San Francisco) inside and melted atop plain white cake. Improvising with cardboard shirt boxes, wrapping paper and tissue, I made up four boxes. One delivered to a friend who lives in an assisted living. I assured him, I used no milk, no butter, no corn, corn starch, or corn syrup. (I used safflower oil, spring water, brown sugar, real sugar, flour, flax seed, oatmeal, real vanilla.) Then off to the neighbor who a few weeks ago did me a huge favor even though he barely knows me. (He came to the US as a refugee from Bosnia.) This morning, I delivered another to a business that I frequently visit, me and the dog. The people there have fed her endless treats. And then I went to visit another friend who has leant me films this year, some of which I have to return, and learned he has moved!
Such is the state of art and science at this time in my life.
I wish all my readers, whatever your ethnic origins or religious beliefs, at least one day of complete and total peace, inside yourself and with the world.
C 2016 All Rights Reserved Including International and Internet Rights
Magyar American Blogspot
I spoke up and said, "Let's pray for peace instead."
Don't know that my blurt was appreciated, but to me all that was required was a moment of silence or a mental bookmark. You see, I don't actually think there ever will be Peace of Earth, but in the West, at Christmas time, the notion of Peace of Earth is popular. Consider that sometimes in war there are agreements that for that one day of the year, Christmas, there is a "peace fire."
And, I really do think that peace on earth has to begin with each individual, and in Christianity the prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi is my favorite. Yet, for all the empathy called for, in order to understand and forgive others, sometimes I've been considered naïve, a fool, and exploitable for all the give I have. I've been at times sneered at for my hope, faith, belief, or innocence. I have not been testy, suspicious. I haven't asked enough questions. (These days an exploiter will blame the victim, saying, "you didn't do your due diligence.")
So, while I don't think there will ever be peace of earth, and am making no claim to perfection and a straight ticket to heaven, the notion of heaven is very influential. Heaven allows us to imagine a place that is peaceful and joyful, and where everyone else is good!
This is my open mind set for the holiday season.
A week ago I told myself I should start decorating. I managed to get a string of lights up around the door. I pulled out my small artificial Christmas tree, only to discover that a piece of plastic had broken off while it was in storage. Three days later I got out my glue gun and tried to fix the leg on without that piece. It sort of worked.
I went off to Trader Joes, were I planned to buy all the ingredients needed to manifest five different cupcake recipes which I wanted to make to gift. It's been years since I made or gifted baked goods and I remembered the days when Christmas visiting meant indulging in baked goods from many different ethnic backgrounds. Family and friends had married into Italians, Russians, Ukrainians, Poles, Slovaks, Ruthenians, Irish, Germans - we have a Persian - that whole mix that is United States of America - everyone making traditional cookies, cakes, pies, that their ancestors made.
As I made way to the location, I passed by an Armenian banquet hall. Someone must have had a wedding, ordered in numerous floral ornaments for the tables, and when unboxing found one was broken. Outside on the sidewalk was a beautiful gold sprayed branch that had blooming rose petals glue gunned to it! One rose had fallen off and there was a glob of glue. I took one look at it and grabbed it. At home I decided not to use the artificial pine tree at all, but hang my small ornament collection off the branches of this bare limbed "tree." I set it up and it's beautiful. My dog lay in her swirl of blankets looking at the pretty lights.
Then I made the cupcakes. Pumpkin oatmeal spice with no icing. Walnut flax seed with vanilla powdered sugar, dried cherries in the mix and topped with cherry jam, and finally Ghirardelli Chocolate (from San Francisco) inside and melted atop plain white cake. Improvising with cardboard shirt boxes, wrapping paper and tissue, I made up four boxes. One delivered to a friend who lives in an assisted living. I assured him, I used no milk, no butter, no corn, corn starch, or corn syrup. (I used safflower oil, spring water, brown sugar, real sugar, flour, flax seed, oatmeal, real vanilla.) Then off to the neighbor who a few weeks ago did me a huge favor even though he barely knows me. (He came to the US as a refugee from Bosnia.) This morning, I delivered another to a business that I frequently visit, me and the dog. The people there have fed her endless treats. And then I went to visit another friend who has leant me films this year, some of which I have to return, and learned he has moved!
Such is the state of art and science at this time in my life.
I wish all my readers, whatever your ethnic origins or religious beliefs, at least one day of complete and total peace, inside yourself and with the world.
C 2016 All Rights Reserved Including International and Internet Rights
Magyar American Blogspot
Friday, December 23, 2016
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Monday, December 12, 2016
I PLAY SAINT NICK and EVERYONE LOVED IT!
A few days ago I met with a group of people who I've know just a few months. None of them are of Hungarian heritage and I had mentioned mine to them here and there, without much of a reaction. I didn't know what to think. Do some of them have secret prejudices against Hungarians or, perhaps, me for my heritage?
Today I took a load of clothes to a charity drop off and tonight I start working on decorating, since, by my way of thinking, the twelve days of Christmas has just about begun.
When I was growing up, we didn't bring the tree inside until Christmas Eve, and then left it up until Three Kings. We also bought live trees and then planted them when the snow thawed.
I'm not going to go "all out," with decorating or celebrating, but I do know that first the house has to be neat and clean.
While I was going through some things, I found some books that I'd bought and read, mostly somewhat spiritual, and decided that I would wrap these up, take them with me when I met with my new friends, and let them each choose.
"I think I've mentioned my Hungarian heritage," I said. One woman looked at me, and I thought she was thinking, "Now what's she up to."
"Well, in Hungary, Christmas is all about Jesus, but then there is Saint Nick's day for presents, which is about now! I admit these are books from my personal collection. Each of you pick one!"
As it turned out, every person picked the book that turned out to be the most perfect for them!
The first person to pick, the most curious you might think, is a retired journalist! The last, a book on spirituality and world peace, who had just come back from a religious retreat!
C 2016 Magyar American BlogSpot All Rights Reserved.
Today I took a load of clothes to a charity drop off and tonight I start working on decorating, since, by my way of thinking, the twelve days of Christmas has just about begun.
When I was growing up, we didn't bring the tree inside until Christmas Eve, and then left it up until Three Kings. We also bought live trees and then planted them when the snow thawed.
I'm not going to go "all out," with decorating or celebrating, but I do know that first the house has to be neat and clean.
While I was going through some things, I found some books that I'd bought and read, mostly somewhat spiritual, and decided that I would wrap these up, take them with me when I met with my new friends, and let them each choose.
"I think I've mentioned my Hungarian heritage," I said. One woman looked at me, and I thought she was thinking, "Now what's she up to."
"Well, in Hungary, Christmas is all about Jesus, but then there is Saint Nick's day for presents, which is about now! I admit these are books from my personal collection. Each of you pick one!"
As it turned out, every person picked the book that turned out to be the most perfect for them!
The first person to pick, the most curious you might think, is a retired journalist! The last, a book on spirituality and world peace, who had just come back from a religious retreat!
C 2016 Magyar American BlogSpot All Rights Reserved.
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Monday, December 5, 2016
CRUSS VON KRAMPUS - COMING TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD TONIGHT...
The Christmas Devil comes the day before
Saint Nick does, rounding up the "bad" kids.
One of my aunts told me that when her sons were young,
one Christmas she threatened that their toy gifts
were going to be taken back.
She hid them in a closet for a couple days.
The sons turned into responsible adults.
They don't seem to have been too traumatized by the experience.
