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Expectations
November 23, 2008
Fifteen years ago, on the days my grandfather was able to talk me into walking down the towering flight of stairs connecting the hilltop of Mount Oliver to the far corner of 18th and Carson to church, the one thought I always had circling in my mind did not have to do with seeing the other kids, or the pain of my dress shoes, or the upcoming two-part Sunday school quiz on when not to eat meat and how soon to marry a Ukrainian boy from the seminary.
It was always, I hope the pirogi ladies are making pirogies.
I figured that as long as I had a handkerchief in my hair and was serving pirogies in the church basement by the time I was 30, I would be set. Who needs college when you have Mr. Rogers?
(We didn’t have cable back then. I don’t have cable now. My regression back to childhood would be complete if I didn’t have to buy a digital converter box next month, which will undoubtedly turn me into an 80-year-old.)
I’ve been a bit down lately, and while it may have something to do with the fact that winter is in full swing, I’m pretty sure it’s because I’m over halfway to 30 and my inner 7-year-old is depressed with my lack of pirogi-making skills.
Categories: Daily
November 23rd, 2008 at 11:46 pm
I haven’t been without cable since I was 8…and even then we had what is now considered “BASIC”. Life was so simple then.
Cheer up.
November 24th, 2008 at 12:30 am
I could soooooooooooo teach you how to make pierogi, halupki, haluski and how to decorate pysanky. I married a Ukrainian. I wanted to learn all the traditions because as the older women were passing away, no one was learning them.
November 24th, 2008 at 2:01 am
Try not to get the winter blues. Things will be okay!
November 24th, 2008 at 9:23 am
It’s never too late to make pierogies. It might cheer up the winteriness (which, yeah). My friend The Pierogi can give you tips if you don’t have the phone number of a Ukrainian church lady.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:31 am
My mom always said this about making pierogies: “Don’t bother with it. They’re a pain in the ass, and the little Polish ladies at church always make them better.”
Don’t feel too bad. I tried to make alfredo sauce from scratch last night (which I have done repeatedly) and it inxplicably separated into this weird cheesy mush and oil. It smelled right, but it sure wasn’t looking right.
And I am down about that.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:36 am
How awesome would a pierogie cookoff be! If everyone wanted to make pierogies one night we could have a lot of fun. I happen to have a church. I’m sure it isn’t too complicated after that.
November 24th, 2008 at 10:56 am
hey you,
it’s the little things that we remember from our childhood
that will always kkep us young. at least you can get the thing at home, while i’m stuck with the frozen ones. how in the world is some southern frozen food co. supposed to know
how to make decent pierogies, or for that matter good italian sausage,or kielbasa.
you know who
November 24th, 2008 at 10:56 am
Doing the things from my childhood that makes me feel grounded. I love baking with my mom, I always feel happy, safe and loved. Just stepping into her sunny, yellow kitchen lifts the weight of adulthood from my shoulders.
I believe you can learn more from an afternoon with one church lady than four years of college. I’ve done both. Those ladies know all about slowing down, doing things right (even when it’s the hard way) and sharing you talents with others.
November 24th, 2008 at 11:31 am
pirogies gross me out. It’s true.
November 24th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
why make perogies when you can just buy ‘em frozen and boil, fry them up all convenient like?
November 24th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
There’s always cheesy nachos :]
November 24th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Question - were pirogies put on this Earth just to make people actually put up with living in this part of the country (Cleveland / Pittsburgh)? I see no other redeeming qualities and I am ok with that.
November 24th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Pirogies are a LOT of work, but the end result is so satisfying. I’ve only made them myself a few times, and each time I get a little better at it. Not as good as my grandma (who was a little old Slovak church lady from North Braddock) but I still think she would have been proud. Try it!
November 24th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Don’t get SAD! Get glad :-)
Oh man, I want a pirogi now.
November 25th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Homemade pirogies are awesome! I haven’t made them myself, yet, but I plan to do so in the near future. Growing up, my family used to get them from the church where my mom grew up and my grandfather still attended. And they always had haluski, too, which I didn’t like then, but I love now.
November 25th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
hey! new header!
(sorry, i hate when people comment off-topic. but i had to say something!)
November 26th, 2008 at 6:38 am
Cheer up, lady!
November 26th, 2008 at 7:42 am
I thought I was the only one around that remembered the pre cable world. I was happy just tobe able to move the rabbit ears around in just the right way so I could watch channel 4. Chiller was the best on the weekends. I was actually on Mr Rogers once. Smile Rachel, life is good….now I want a pirogi fried in a skillet in olio!
November 26th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
To be fair, you were halfway to 30 when you turned 15 … so you should really be over this development by now.
November 26th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Max - Unfortunately, I think I was more on-task as a 15-year-old.
November 26th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Please excuse my absence…
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
December 6th, 2008 at 9:59 am
Letting go of childhood is almost like a physical pain, mainly because it seemed to be such a damn fun time. Don’t let it go completely…the one thing we get to take from that time is the ability to start something all over again, maybe change direction, or finally do what we’ve been promising ourselves. Maybe like learning to make perogis :)