Monday, December 19, 2016

OLIVES, POTATOES, GROWLING, ZSA ZSA




A quick hodgepodge of completely unrelated stuff.

Yesterday, in her comment on my blog, Myra mentioned something about Christmas stockings - and that sparked a memory that I hadn't thought of in many years.

I've always had an unnatural obsession for olives (yes, olives), ever since I was a tiny child. It's some sort of weird addiction. I can't get enough of them. 

One Christmas when I was either four or five (can't remember), my father put a jar of olives in my Christmas stocking (which I, of course, thought was from Santa Claus). Dad secretly said to Mom "Let's see what the kid goes for first: the toys, candy, or olives."



It was no contest. On Christmas morning, I was ecstatic to find the jar of olives in my stocking. To hell with toys and candy! I pried off the lid and started eating them. My parents eventually pried the jar away from me, or I would have eaten the whole thing in one sitting. 

Strange but true. And I still love olives.
 

The other day when I went shopping in town, I bought a 15 lb. bag of potatoes. Imagine my surprise when I opened it and found a potato that was nearly a foot long. Over eleven inches. I've seldom seen one that big.
This photo doesn't do it justice. 

Please try to contain your excitement.

  
As most of you know, I've been feeding the resident 'possum.  Although basically nocturnal, the 'possum has been coming out in the daylight lately because the nights are so damn cold.

A few days ago my eldest cat Scratch was outside on the back porch. I looked out a window to check on her and she was face to face with the 'possum. Neither of them looked pleased.

I quickly went outside and they were growling at each other! Scratch growls when she's angry, but I've never heard a 'possum growl before. I chased the 'possum and dragged the cat inside.
Not easily intimidated, the 'possum returned five minutes later. I gave him (what else?) some cat food to eat.

I took this blurry pic through the kitchen window.



 Hungarian actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, dead at the ripe old age of 99. Much more known for her glamour and flamboyance than for her acting abilities.

I met Zsa Zsa when I was sixteen. At that time I was a piano student of the Hungarian concert pianist Geza Wolf, who lived in Riverside.


Geza Wolf (real name Wolfenstein) was the former conductor of the Belgrade Opera Orchestra, and a survivor of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. He was also a close friend of the Gabor family (sisters Zsa Zsa, Eva, and Magda) and visited them often in Palm Springs.

One day when I was arriving at Wolf's house in Riverside, Zsa Zsa was just leaving. We exchanged greetings and talked very briefly. I proudly told her that I was learning some of Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies. She mentioned that she could make a helluva good Hungarian goulash.

In retrospect, at the time I was hopelessly immature and too young to make much of an impression. 

Just one of my many fleeting California memories.....

An afterthought:
Longevity seems to be in the Gabor family. Zsa Zsa's mother Jolie lived to be 102. 

 

29 comments:

  1. I bet she did make a helluva goulash. You should have pursued it. What a personality! She existed in the golden age of Hollywood and I wonder what her celebrity would be today in the age of the Kardashians? Personally, I will never forget her oh so memorable moment in "Moulin Rouge" as Jane Avril singing "Where Is Your Heart?"

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  2. I had forgotten about "Moulin Rouge" - thanks for mentioning it. Unfortunately, the golden age of Hollywood is gone forever. The so-called "stars" of today can't compare.....
    Zsa Zsa was one of a kind.

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  3. Zsa Zsa will live in the memories of all who heard her amazing voice.
    I love your header picture, I can't work out if it is a black and white picture with colour added, or a few spots of colour in a real life black and white world.
    Poor possum! it must be horrendously cold where you are if even the possums can't come out at night, and it is good of you to feed him.

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    1. Zsa Zsa and Bela Lugosi had the definitive Hungarian accents. As for the header picture, I tend to think the color was added afterwards, but....who knows?

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  4. Now we really should just do the deed.......im an olive freak too!!!!! And have eaten a whole jar!!!!! And at this point you may,as well name the possum....she's your pet now.

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    1. The last thing I need is another pet.....
      but I'd definitely share my olives with you.

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  5. What a beautiful picture of Zsa Zsa, she was sexy and did not have to leave her boobs hanging out.

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    1. I had never seen that particular photo before - - and it's actually a pleasure to see someone without hanging boobs....(*smile*)

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  6. Yes, let's have a "Name the Possum" contest!!!

    Your story of the olives cracks me up! I'll eat them, but much prefer the ripe ones. The best thing to land in my stocking? A bit of raw sugar cookie dough neatly folded in a tin wrapper. (I never much cared for the baked cookies but used to stalk the kitchen counters for dough and batter behind my mother's back.)

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    1. I prefer to have my cookie dough baked. I would have never thought of the olive incident if you hadn't mentioned the red plastic Christmas stockings.

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  7. What a wonderfully unique combination of tidbits--LOL!
    Enough to make a possum giggle. ;)

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    1. At first I thought it would be odd to combine these things in one post, but I guess it worked out okay.

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  8. Your festive blog looks really really nice. I confess to having an obsession with olives myself - although I doubt I could eat an entire jar. How kind of you to feed the possum. It'll be sticking around for sure. I agree with the others - he/she needs a name. I'm not familiar with Zsa Zsa Gabor. I'll have to look that up.

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    1. Zsa Zsa was a Hollywood icon, but she was best known as a socialite and a "personality" rather than as an actress (even though she appeared in many films).
      Glad to know that I'm not the only olive lover.

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  9. Jon,
    I am impressed. You actually met Zsa Zsa. You have to get back to California. But who would you want to meet these days. Jane Fonda? 😎
    Ron

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    1. I was privileged to meet so many famous people in California. Those were the best days of my life. Now I'm meeting possums.....

      I don't know any of the current so-called "celebrities".

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    2. You are funny Jon. I don't know most of today's celebrities either, nor do I care to know. We were lucky to live in the day when there were real celebrities. Kim Kardashian can't hold a candle to Zsa Zsa.
      Ron

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  10. Bless you for feeding that possum.

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    1. I'm much sweeter than my tough exterior.....

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    2. I know that Jon. Other do too. :)

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  11. Unusual kid to prefer olives over candy and toys. Zsa Zsa was a beautiful lady. I think I heard she was on life support for the last five years. I think the Possum has found a home.

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    1. I'll never understand my obsession with olives.
      I think Zsa Zsa had a stroke a few years ago - - but also I heard that she was paralyzed in an automobile accident.

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  12. You could possibly easily be the only one in this world with a possum named Zsa Zsa.

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    1. I never thought of that. It's a good idea.....but what if SHE turns out to be a HE?

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    2. That's it!! Zsa Zsa it is!!!! Male or female. It will give an air of class to this odd looking creature.

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  13. Lucky young man. Meeting this vivacious lady. I loved Zsa Zsa. Her 'darlings' never failed to delight in a witty comment or two. Got a big kick out of your OLIVE story too. There is one about me and my cousin scarfing down every one at a holiday party and nobody knowing where the olives went except us.

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    1. The current crop of so-called "celebrities" can't hold a candle to the stars from the golden age of Hollywood. I was truly privileged to have met many of them. Here in the TN wilderness my youth and California past seem so FAR away....

      Glad to know I'm not the only olive lover!

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  14. My sister also loved green olives. She would receive a small jar in her stocking. I dare say my treat was slightly more bizarre - a jar of Gerber's strained plums w/tapioca. I loved it with toast. Couldn't find any the last time I looked so I guess it is no longer being made.
    Yes, you should name your possum. I don't suppose you've determined if it's a he or she. Maybe a gender neutral handle like Madison.
    I too no longer know who "celebrities" are. I see headlines in the news and I don't know who these people are. I pretty much knew I was out of touch when I could no longer recognize the artists featured in the Columbia record club (remember it?)

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    1. Wow, I'm surprised (but also happy) to know that I wasn't the only kid in the world who had olives in a Christmas stocking! I've heard of strained plums, of course, but never plums with tapioca. When I was a teen, one of my cousins and I used to love to eat Gerber's custard.
      I certainly remember the Columbia record club. And I like the name Madison.

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