Forever Young November 2022

Christine A. Smyczynski

Photo by Carol Ann Harlos

E.

Making memories

What’s your favorite tradition? I cherish so many, from the simple like tacos and Survivor on Wednesday nights to the more elaborate like gathering with the extended family for Thanksgiving. While traditions occur all year long, they take center stage this time of year, so we asked our writers to share their favorites.

Sabrina Kahwaty skahwaty@foreveryoungwny.com

Harlos,

Blumenstalk Mingus,

Smyczynski,

DiPirro-Stipkovits

C. Levite

Vitello

Kim Miers

Kaznica

Gabris,

J. Parisi, Dan Cappellazzo

E.

No matter how fun or enjoyable, traditions are made special by the people with whom we share them. To keep the people intact, traditions sometimes morph to accommodate life’s inevitable twists and turns, or change completely into something delightfully unexpected. Traditions change, or that they don’t exactly match what others do or what we thought we’d be doing. Especially in the wake of the relentless unpredictability of the past two years, adapting and adjusting is something we’ve all gotten good at. And that’s okay. There is no right

or wrong way to celebrate. Surround yourself with the ones who matter, and the rest will work itself out. And, if you’re looking to make a new tradition, there is no shortage of local events to try (Find inspiration in our Noteworthy section).

Wishing

Sabrina Kahwaty,

Lou Ann Delany

Sabrina Kahwaty Executive Editor

Miers

should be sent to the editor (skahwaty@foreveryoungwny.com) at 1412 Sweet Home Road, Suite 12, Amherst, NY 14228. Material cannot be returned unless accompanied by a self addressed, stamped envelope of adequate size and strength. The publisher does not take responsibility for the accuracy or

of the advertising message or any aspect of the business operation or conduct of the advertisers in the paper.

*PLEASE

Online IMAGINE BUFFALO SPEAKER SERIES Presented by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library in conjunction with C-SAAHN and ImagineLifelongLearning.com via Zoom every Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. Each week features a local speaker and Q&A. FREE. Visit website for Zoom link: buffalolib.libcal.org

Online LAUGHTER WELLNESS Come as you are, just bring your laughter! Tuesdays at 11 a.m. FREE. Visit facebook.com/ Buffalo-Laughers for information.

Gowanda HEALTHY COMMUNITY ALLIANCE

Activities open to the public age 50+, (no residency requirements), Concord Senior Center, 1 School Street, Gowanda; for schedule, visit communityalliance.org; 5321010

Niagara Falls SENIOR COMPANION/FOSTER GRANDPARENT PROGRAM

Looking for seniors who enjoy working with their peers or children. Volunteers receive a tax-free stipend, transportation assistance, and supplemental insurance coverage while volunteering. If you are 55+ and want to make a difference, call 285-8224 Jennifer Britton (ext. 217) for Senior Companions and Kelly Carr (ext. 228) for Foster Grandparents

Clarence WNY MEDICARE SMART START PROGRAM offers free help applying for Medicare. WNY MEDICARE SMARTSAVER PROGRAM offers free help to review, research, maximize coverage, and minimize out-of-pocket expenses. Services offered through WNY Medicare Resource Center. Info: 833-0252 or wnymedicare.org

Buffalo HEADWAY SUPPORT GROUPS For individuals who have sustained brain injuries, their families, and caregivers; exchange information and resources, and find mutual support and encouragement. Info: 408-3100 or headwayofwny.org

Southtowns NEW HORIZONS MUSIC Calling all musicians 50+. For info, email Janet Stout at 354janet@gmail.com and visit newhorizonsmusic.org.

Hamburg ALZHEIMER’S CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP for males; call 6260600 or visit alz.org/wnyc for info.

Depew BREAST CANCER NETWORK OF WNY Call 706-0060 or visit bcnwny.org for more information.

West Seneca AMANA GARDEN CLUB OF WEST SENECA, is welcoming new members

interested in gardening, floral arrangement, and more. For more information, contact Marie: 884-8543

Buffalo PARKINSON’S SUPPORT GROUP United Way – Room 219, 742 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo. Contact: Stephanie Mruzek. Email: eastamherstDSM@ solsticeseniorliving.com. Visit parkinson.org for a full listing of Parkinson’s support groups in WNY.

Williamsville MCGUIRE

GROUP MEMORY CARE SUPPORT: Coordinated with the Alzheimer’s Association, with caregiving tips and coping mechanisms. Info: 632-3700 or mcguiregroup.com

Buffalo LGBTQ MEMORY LOSS CAREGIVERS PROGRAM: The Pride Center of WNY offers support and education for people providing care for a person with Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias. For information: 852-7743 or pridecenterwny.org

NIAGARA FALLS SINGLES

SOCIAL CLUB: This active 50+ crowd holds Meet & Greets second Fridays at Tim Hortons (8500 Niagara Falls Boulevard) and

dances third Friday at Buff Social Club (2565 Young St.). For more info, see Facebook: SINGLES SOCIAL CLUB or call 550-1232

TOPS CLUBS

Take Off Pounds Sensibly Clubs offer tools, programs, support, and fellowship for healthy living and weight management.

Akron For info, call Diane 5424980

Cheektowaga For info, call Karen 247-2334

Cheektowaga For info, call MaryAnn 895-4414

Niagara Falls For info, call Beth 385-7558

Farnham For info, call 934-9619

Lancaster For info, call Eva 4070539

Silver Creek For info, call 6800313

Recipe of the month

Butternut squash bisque with toasted almonds

BY STAFF RECIPE COURTESY OF CHEF JOE GEORGE

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, so we thought we’d dig through our remarkable treasure trove of recipes from Chef Joe George to find a perfect one to share. This little number is an ideal first course for the big day, but it is also a tidy solution for Thanksgiving Eve. Since nobody wants to muss their kitchen the night before the big event, this soup can be made ahead of time and frozen. Served with crusty bread and a side salad, this is a satisfying and seasonal meal that will require nothing but a reheat and the scrubbing of a saucepan.

Butternut squash bisque with toasted almonds

Makes six cups Ingredients:

2 tbsp. butter

1 small onion, peeled and diced

2 tbsp. flour

2 tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

2 lbs. peeled and diced butternut squash

2 C. chicken or vegetable stock

1 C. heavy cream

1/4 C. chopped, toasted walnuts

1/2 C. small, diced apple

Directions:

Melt the butter in a small pot over medium heat and add the onions. Sweat the onions over medium heat for five minutes or until they are translucent. Add the flour and stir over medium heat for two minutes. Stir in the sugar, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and diced butternut squash; sauté another minute. Add the stock and simmer for fifteen to twenty minutes, or until the squash is very tender. Add the cream and simmer for one or two minutes longer. Puree in a blender or food processor. After ladling the soup into warm bowls, garnish it with the toasted walnuts and diced apple.

Front yard in the fall

Seasonal beauty is full of color

The perennial (cranesbill) ‘Rozanne’ geraniums bloom continually from late spring through late fall. They wind through any open space providing color throughout the growing season. The flowers are a violet blue with a white eye. They are sterile, meaning they don’t produce seeds, but they do attract insects because they produce nectar. Other perennial geraniums include Max Frei Bloody cranesbill and purple cranesbill, which have modestly rebloomed since I cut them back this past June. The Madagascar geraniums don’t rebloom, but the leaves provide a lovely ground cover.

The leaves of heucheras (coral bells) are valuable as foliage plants. I love the different color leaves. Shabby looking? Snip off the spent leaves and leaf regrowth occurs. The plants are short-lived unless divided in the spring.

The native grass Chasmanthium latifolium, sea oats, has lovely seed heads that turn brown. It attracts butterflies.

The three rose bushes did well. Leaf cutter bees cut some semi circles from the leaves but caused no real damage. As a pollinator species, leaf cutter bees are welcome. They use the pieces of cut leaves as nest cells for the next generation of bees. The rose bushes were fed an organic fertilizer in early spring.

Ihave a large front yard garden in addition to the herb and rose gardens, shrubs, and mixed beds in the backyard. The front garden gives me the greatest joy because it encourages people to stop and talk to me. From spring through autumn, it has something of interest.

The big leaf hydrangeas bloomed again this year due to a mild spring that did not freeze the flower buds formed last September. I planted begonias in pots to fill in spaces

after the “Ruby Red” day lily clumps finished blooming. This year, I planted caladiums—red, white, green, and multicolored under the crimson clump maple. I put little sticks near them so I can dig up the tubers for overwintering after a killing frost.

There were also dahlias. I prefer the ones with simple daisy-like flowers because bees and other pollinators can access the pollen and nectar. The showy dinner-plate dahlias are lovely; there are several in the garden, but I really don’t fancy them. The dahlia tubers also need to be dug up and stored.

Sedum ‘Autumn Joy,’ a garden staple, oregano flowers, and the annual perilla provided pollinator species with more food. On warm days, these plants were covered with insects. (I love hearing the “buzz” of insects at work.)

The pink colchicum flowers suddenly appeared as they do each autumn. They send up strap-like leaves in the spring that disappear by summer. It is always a delightful

CAROL ANN HARLOS

Photos by Carol Ann Harlos

surprise when the flowers appear. The saffron crocuses, relatives of irises, also appear in the autumn. I confess I find them so pretty that I always forget to collect the filaments that comprise the expensive saffron spice you buy in a store!

The perennial hibiscus put on a wonderful show this year in red, pink, and white. I didn’t find any Japanese beetles on them this year. Hurray! This year, for the first time, I pinched back the shoots above a set of leaves when they were about six inches tall. (I understand that this can be repeated several more times before the Fourth of July— maybe next year.) The pinching produces fuller plants.

I groomed the spring flowering plants including tiarella, brunnera, pulmonaria, lily of the valley, dropseed, and ligularia if they

became ratty looking. They are still lovely even late in the season.

As I write this, the fifty-plus-yearold crabapple tree is covered with thousands of fruits that are turning red. Winter weather changes their chemistry making them edible for many bird species in the spring.

I love this tree. In the late spring, pink buds open to white flowers. Lichen growing on the branches shows its age; losing this tree would not only open up an area in the garden but also break our hearts.

The crimson clump maple in the front bed is turning red. It has taken years to get established but it’s presently flourishing.

These are not all the plants in front of the house but represent some favorites. I look forward to the glory of the snow, daffodils, camassia, and lupines of next spring.

I love hearing from you: caharlos@verizon.net FY

Carol Ann Harlos is an awardwinning retired math and science

teacher, Master Gardener, beekeeper, writer, and speaker. She tends extensive gardens, including herbs, and loves learning from others and sharing her knowledge.

THE

Mayflower Society

Do you have Mayflower ancestry?

You know I’m a genealogy geek; what you may not know is I’m also a huge foodie, so Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday. We all know the story of the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Tribe sharing a feast that we now regard as the first Thanksgiving meal. The Mayflower landing in the New World is a significant event in American history, but have you considered that you may be descended from a Mayflower passenger?

As Thanksgiving approaches, there’s no better time to think of that resilient little group of men and woman who left their imprint both on American history and every family’s Thanksgiving table. And if you have American roots, chances are good you’re descended from one of them. If you’re unsure, go back a few generations on each branch of

your family tree before beginning your Mayflower research. If you get past the major waves of immigration in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries on a family line—and your ancestors are still showing birth locations in the US—there is a good chance someone in that line continues far enough into the American past to be a candidate.

Don’t assume your family doesn’t have early American history just because you have been told your ancestors came through Ellis Island. Family stories are often confused, incorrect, or leave out important chunks of lost history, especially when it concerns female lines. Now that you have your possible lines noted, see if you can match an

GENEALOGY

ancestor to a known descendant. The first place to look is The Mayflower Society (themayflowersociety.org), an association for those with proven Mayflower descent. Although there were approximately 100 passengers on the ship, nearly half died within a year of arriving, leaving just fiftyone to bear descendants. If you’re lucky enough to share a surname with someone on the Mayflower Society’s list of all passengers with known descendants, carefully research that line in your tree to find a connection. Of course, the surname is no guarantee, but it’s certainly worth a look. No free online search will tell you if you connect to a Mayflower passenger, but American Ancestors by New England Historic Genealogical Society at americanancestors.org does offer a wonderful searchable database of more than half a million records of Mayflower descendants. Membership is required, but this database can also be accessed from the Niagara County Genealogical Society Library for free. Library hours can be found at niagaragenealogy.org. Likely the most complete website covering the Mayflower passengers, their history, and their genealogy is Mayflowerhistory.com. Besides the passenger list, this site has information on the lives of pilgrims, famous descendants of the Mayflower, reading suggestions, and much more. A proven direct line to one of the passengers will allow you access to the Mayflower Society (themayflowersociety.org) and maybe an extra slice of pumpkin pie, which is worth all the effort! As we celebrate Thanksgiving, there is much to be grateful for. I’m lucky that my list is long and hope yours is, too. I also remember to take a quiet moment to give thanks to our ancestors. The small comforts we enjoy daily would not be possible without them. FY

Carol DiPirro-Stipkovits is a National Genealogical Society member, Association of Professional Genealogists member, and freelance writer. Carol is also President and Board Chairman of the Niagara County Genealogical Society. Send questions or comments to her at noellasdaughter@gmail.com.

MONDAY

AMERICAN LEGION MCKEEVER

South Park Ave., Buffalo

7:30 p.m.

AMERICAN LEGION

533 Amherst St., Buffalo

p.m. 875-9276

HAMBURG–KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

Pierce Ave., Hamburg

p.m. 649-9830/649-4340

MATTHEW GLAB

Abbott Rd., Lackawanna

p.m.

TUESDAY

AMVETS

FATHER

Cheektowaga

HARTLAND VFC 8945 Ridge Rd., Hartland 7:30 p.m.

p.m. (second Tuesday)

OUR LADY OF POMPEII 129 Laverack Ave., Lancaster 7 p.m.

ST. ANDREW’S CHURCH 1525 Sheridan Dr., Kenmore

7:30 p.m.

683-6522

ST. AMELIA

2999 Eggert Rd., Tonawanda

7:15 p.m. 836-0011

THURSDAY

BLESSED TRINITY 317 Leroy Ave., Buffalo

8 p.m. 833-0301

873-6716

ST. ANDREW CHURCH 111 Crocker St., Sloan 7:30 p.m. 892-0425

WEDNESDAY

AM. LEG. MCKEEVER POST 1770 S. Park Ave., Buffalo

7:30 p.m.

822-6400

FATHER JUSTIN K OF C — SPONSORED BY THE JUSTINETTES 2735 Union Rd., Cheektowaga 7 p.m. 681-7251

LANCASTER ELKS 33 Legion Parkway, Lancaster 7:30 p.m. 685-1478

ST. ALOYSIUS RCC 156 Franklin, Springville 7:30 p.m. 592-2701

FATHER JUSTIN K OF C 2735 Union Rd., Cheektowaga 1 p.m. 681-7251

FOURTEEN HOLY HELPERS 1345 Indian Church Rd., West Seneca 7:00 p.m. 674-2374

K OF C MADONNA COUNCIL NO. 2535 755 Erie Ave., North Tonawanda

7:30 p.m. 693-5470

ST. ANDREW’S CHURCH 1525 Sheridan Dr., Kenmore 7:30 p.m.

ST. JAMES DEPEW

500 Terrace Blvd., Depew 7:30 p.m.

873-6716

683-2746

VFW COL. WEBER POST 989 2909 South Park Ave., Lackawana 7:30 p.m.

823-9605

FRIDAY

AM. LEG. MCKEEVER POST 1770 South Park Ave., Buffalo 7:30 p.m. 822-6400

ASSUMPTION PARISH

435 Amherst St., Buffalo

7:30 p.m. 876-1038

DALE ASSOCIATION CENT.

33 Ontario St., Lockport

7 p.m (first and third Fridays).. 433-1886

SENECA GAMING AND ENTERTAINMENT

11099 Route 5, Irving

7 p.m. 1-800-421-2464

ST. ALOYSIUS GONZAGA

157 Cleveland Dr., Cheektowaga

7:30 p.m. 833-1715

ST. ANDREW’S CHURCH

1525 Sheridan Dr., Kenmore

7:30 p.m. 873-6716

ST. PHILIP THE APOSTLE

950 Lossen Rd., Cheektowaga

7:00 p.m. 668-8370

SATURDAY

BUFFALO GAY BINGO/

AIDS PLUS FUND OF WNY

Amvets Medallion Post 13, 13 Review Pl., Buffalo

7 p.m (2nd Sat.) 822-0818

CARDINAL O'HARA HIGH SCHOOL

39 O'Hara Rd., Tonawanda

7:30 p.m. 695-2600 x326

OUR LADY OF BISTRICA

1619 Abbott Rd., Lackawanna

7:15 p.m. 822-0818

SENECA GAMING AND ENTERTAINMENT

11099 Route 5, Irving

1 & 7 p.m. 1-800-421-2464

ST. AMELIA’S RCC 2999 Eggert Rd., Tonawanda 1 p.m. 836-0011

ST. ANDREW CHURCH 111 Crocker St., Sloan 7:30 p.m.

892-0425

ST. JOHN XXIII 1 Arcade St., W. Seneca 7 p.m. 239-2787

SUNDAY

CARDINAL O'HARA HIGH SCHOOL

39 O'Hara Rd., Tonawanda 1 p.m. 695-2600 x326

DELEVAN VFC N. Main St., Delevan 7 p.m. 492-1910

LOCKPORT ELKS LODGE 41 6791 N. Canal Rd., Lockport 7 p.m (first and third Sundays). 434-2798

OUR LADY OF POMPEII

129 Laverack Ave., Lancaster 2 p.m. 683-6522

SENECA GAMING AND ENTERTAINMENT

11099 Route 5, Irving 1 & 7 p.m. 549-4389

BINGO

CASINO

SENECA

p.m.

&

p.m.

p.m.

&

p.m.

ONEIDA

Treasured tradition Cutting down the Christmas tree

STORY AND PHOTOS BY TARA ERWIN

“We’re kicking off our fun old-fashioned family Christmas by heading out into the country in the old front-wheel drive sleigh to embrace the frosty majesty of the winter landscape and select that most important of Christmas symbols.”

So said Clark Griswold in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, but it could have been the Erwin family in any given year. Even though there are tree lots on practically every corner— and artificial trees that look like the real thing and come pre-lit—my husband will accept nothing less than trekking out into the snow-covered hills of the countryside, selecting the perfect tree, having our boys help him cut it down, and affixing it to the top of our “all-wheel drive sleigh.”

For my Clark Griswold, part of the experience of getting the tree is that it requires half a day, long underwear, homemade chili—and lots of patience.

We’ve been going to Bird Haven Christmas Tree Farm in Warsaw for that most important of Christmas symbols since we were living as an engaged couple in our first apartment back in the early aughts. My family had toggled between foraging in the attic for our boxed Scotch pine or foraging at a lot near our suburban home, but my Clark had grown up with an artificial tree and scoffed at my suggestion to invest in anything

less than the real thing: “We’ll have no fake tree in our home.”

He explained later that the experience of bundling up, driving past pristine white fields, and DIY’ing a fresh Christmas tree evokes the authenticity he wants for him and his family. Just as he would never go to a restaurant for Christmas dinner or hire a personal shopper to complete Santa’s list, he would never buy a fake tree as a shortcut to a cute and homey holiday. Think Norman Rockwell with a hacksaw.

I have a much more pragmatic attitude toward celebrating Christmas and think we should take advantage of modern amenities, but I admit trekking to the country and cutting down our own tree has a quaintness I’ve learned to embrace, especially since having children. When they were infants and toddlers, I wasn’t brave enough to skip that sacred naptime but once they reached preschool, I was game to try, and it’s become a treasured tradition they look forward to.

Like my husband, our boys revel in being the first to spot what they think should be the year’s Erwin Family Christmas Tree. They ignore my misgivings that it probably won’t fit in our family room, and, with supervision, help cut it down. As they got older, they debated the merits of Fraser Fir versus Norway Spruce, tried to remember which variety smells like oranges (Concolor Fir), and argued over whose turn it was to ensure the tree had a constant water supply in its crucial first days in our home.

Our group is sometimes larger than our family alone. When schedules allow, we’ve caravanned with friends. Parents have joined us, and I love seeing them experience the occasion through their grandchildren’s eyes (I’m also in awe of them braving the cold!).

After the trees are tagged and while we wait for the workers to bring them to the bundling station, we warm ourselves by a cheery bonfire and enjoy hot chocolate or homemade chili. Once the trees are loaded onto the bed of our friend’s father’s pickup truck, we top off the excursion by breaking out the portable grill, Sahlen’s hot dogs, and some sides for a quick tailgate

lunch before heading back. Thankfully we’ve never gotten stuck under an eighteen-wheeler on the trip home like the Griswolds and, once home, no squirrels have ever jumped out of the branches to attack us.

I was a kid when National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation came out but as an adult with a family, I appreciate Clark’s

unwavering mission to give his family a magical, old-fashioned Christmas. It may be more convenient to go to a lot or snap together a pre-lit tree, but for us, it’s about making each year’s Christmas tree our own. FY

Tara Erwin lives and writes in Western New York.

When holiday traditions go awry…

Alternates can save the season

BY NANCY BLUMENSTALK MINGUS

While pandemic lockdown may have forced some families to pivot to their first virtual holidays, families have long been adapting traditions when new circumstances make the old ones hard to maintain. We may no longer have a health-related need for Zoom celebrations but, for some geographically distant families, discovering the ease of virtual gathering meant get-togethers for occasions that might have never warranted one before—like birthdays or Easter.

Zoom holidays will never take the place of in-person celebrations and, when family members are spread out, accommodating them for a

holiday celebration often works best if dates can be fluid. “While I was growing up, we all stayed at my Aunt Lynn’s house when we visited for

Thanksgiving with my mom’s side of the family,” says Sabrina Kahwaty. “My dad’s family seemed to designate Thanksgiving as the in-law holiday,

so we always came to Buffalo, and so did my other aunt’s family who lived in Florida. Since we were all there every year, we started celebrating Christmas that weekend—doing the family gift exchange, seeing Santa, the works.” Though all the families now live in Buffalo and can easily celebrate Christmas on December 25, Sabrina’s mother, Donna Hoke, has a soft spot for the old tradition: “There’s something special about all living together for a few days that promotes strong bonding.”

Black Friday baking is another way to take advantage of family gathered for Thanksgiving—and inject a little Christmas. In a large—often rented, commercial—kitchen, each family

Xavier Mendoza shows off a self-designed and constructed costume during “Canadian Thanksgiving,” 2015. Photo by Jan McDonald

FEATURE

bakes several batches of their favorite Christmas cookies. When finished, the families swap cookies so everyone takes home a variety that reminds them of each other and their time together throughout the upcoming season.

In the Blumenstalk family, Halloween and Thanksgiving are combined to create a unique celebration. For nearly two decades, the Buffalo-based part of the family has driven seven hours to New Rochelle, NY, over the threeday Columbus Day weekend to celebrate Thanksgiving. The tradition originated because the parents worked in banking and didn’t get the Friday after Thanksgiving off, which didn’t leave enough time to travel and be back to work the next day. Then, because many Halloween attractions—haunted houses and Boo at the Bronx Zoo—were open by Columbus Day, creating Halloween costumes and visiting the zoo became as traditional as the Thanksgiving meal.

A decade later, this writer was explaining to a colleague about the Columbus Day tradition, and she said, “I didn’t know you were Canadian.” The Blumenstalks are not, but it turns out their Thanksgiving celebration coincides with Canadian Thanksgiving, and that’s an easy moniker to explain the tradition that has now grown to include five or six households.

Celebrating out of season can get tricky. You may not be able to find a twenty-pound organic turkey in October. Or nobody has a big enough kitchen for everyone to bake. Or it might not “feel” like Christmas if you’re using a summer reunion to celebrate a winter holiday. Don’t be deterred. Very often, the new tradition—precisely because it’s different—becomes the favorite. FY

Nancy Blumenstalk Mingus is a writer, trainer and consultant based in Orleans County, NY.

What is Wigilia? A Polish Christmas Eve vigil supper

weeks leading up to Christmas. An envelope usually contains three sheets of wafer stamped with a nativity scene.

Some families light a candle in the window to welcome Jesus in the form of a stranger who might come to share the supper. An extra place is set in the event he comes because, according to the ancient Polish adage, “A guest in the home is God in the home.”

We start our meal with mushroom soup. I use Progresso, because only a handful of us eat it. My mother also used canned soup, though, one year, many years ago, she received some dried mushrooms from Poland and made soup from scratch. Let’s just say that this type of soup must be an acquired taste! I also serve shrimp cocktail as an appetizer.

The dinner has evolved over the years. When my mother hosted, she served a white fish; I serve salmon since it’s the only fish everyone in my family likes.

Oplatek wafers depict the nativity scene.

For as long as I can remember, my family has a Polish Wigilia (in English: vigil supper) on Christmas Eve. In Poland, where both sets of my grandparents are from, it is considered the most important meal of the year, as it is the celebration of Christ’s birth. This meatless meal is usually eaten after sundown on December 24, after the first star appears in the sky.

Old world tradition calls for twelve courses. Most families serve fewer, though usually an odd number. The table is set with a white tablecloth over a thin layer of straw that recalls the baby Jesus’s manger of hay. (I usually just pluck a couple pieces of straw from the manger scene to place under the tablecloth.)

After saying grace, my family shares the oplatek, a thin, unleavened wafer, similar to a communion wafer, which has been blessed by a priest but not consecrated. Each person starts with a large wafer, approximately two-by-four inches. As we go around to the other people at the table, we break pieces off of each other’s wafers and offer happiness and other well wishes for the

coming year, such as a successful year at school. It’s like individual toasting, only with a wafer. My late mother ended her wishes with “And whatever your heart desires.” In her memory, we all say that now.

When I was a child, the oplatek wafer was usually only available from Catholic churches with mostly members of Polish ancestry. However, I have noticed more Catholic churches embracing this tradition and offering wafers in the

I also serve gluten-free pierogi, since my daughter needs to eat gluten-free. I make them from scratch a couple days before Christmas. I fill them with farmers cheese filling, potato and cheddar cheese, and some with just potato. I have a really good recipe for sweet and sour cabbage that goes well with this meal; I make enough so we can also have it with the ham and Polish sausage I serve on Christmas Day. To round out our Wigilia, there’s corn, mashed potatoes, and gluten-free rolls.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE A. SMYCZYNSKI

And yes, there’s dessert! I put out several different kinds of homemade, gluten-free cookies. One of our favorites is called kolachi, a cream cheesebased dough cookie filled with

strawberry jam and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Both my mother and mother-in-law used to make these cookies. I also make a gluten-free placek (coffee cake), which disappears fast!

Traditional Polish kolachi

After we clean up from dinner, we sit down to watch Muppet Family Christmas. I taped this from TV when our oldest, now thirty-two, was little. I think the kids enjoy the vintage nineties commercials as much as the show.

We then head to Midnight Mass to celebrate the meaning of Christmas. With COVID a concern the past couple years, we viewed mass online. I’m confident that this year, we will be able to resume our tradition of attending Midnight Mass in person this Christmas Eve. FY

Christine A. Smyczynski is the author of several travel guides about Western New York and New York State. In addition, she has written hundreds of articles on a variety of topics for local, regional, and national publications.

No traditional Polish Christmas would be complete without pierogis.

Toward optimal bone health

The important relationship between vitamin D, vitamin K, magnesium, and calcium

BY JONNEMARIE KAHWATY

Osteoporosis and osteopenia are among the most common diseases affecting people over age sixty-five— particularly women. Both are caused by low bone density and can leave those afflicted at greater risk of injury and pain. So what is bone density and how can we maintain it to reduce susceptibility to these diseases?

When people think about nutritionally maintaining healthy bones, calcium is often the first word that pops into their heads. This is because bone tissue comprises mostly calcium, along with another mineral, phosphorous; these nutrients give bones their hardness

and rigidity. The amount of these minerals in the bone is referred to as bone density, so the lower the amount of calcium in the bone, the lower the bone density. The lower the bone density, the weaker the bone, and the higher risk for pain and injury.

There’s no debate that calcium is vital for bone health but unfortunately, it’s not as simple as just drinking more milk, eating more dark, leafy greens, or taking calcium supplements. The body is full of complex systems that require different minerals that all work

together to keep things healthy and balanced. Three key nutrients are crucial to keeping a healthy amount of calcium in the bones: vitamin D, vitamin K, and magnesium.

Up first: vitamin D. (Fun fact: despite the name, vitamin D is actually a hormone!) Vitamin D has been getting a lot of attention recently. In fact, it’s commonly listed as a nutrient deficiency in older adults, second to calcium. This isn’t surprising, as the two are related; it is vitamin D’s job to absorb the calcium and phosphorous from the gut. You can consume all the calcium you want, but without Vitamin D, it’ll never get absorbed into the bloodstream! People with a vitamin D deficiency therefore have a higher risk of bone loss. While you can obtain vitamin D through diet with foods such as wild caught salmon or other fatty fish, oysters, tuna, egg yolks, and mushrooms, diet only provides our bodies about ten percent of its vitamin D needs. Your skin manufactures the other ninety percent through sun exposure. So make sure to get outside and enjoy sunlight for ten to forty minutes a day (necessary amounts vary based on pigmentation)!

Vitamin D might do the bulk of the work in getting calcium where it needs to go, but it can’t do it alone. It works hand in hand with the lesser known vitamin K. Vitamin D gets the calcium from the gut to the bloodstream, but that isn’t where we want it! That’s where vitamin K comes in; it transports the calcium from the soft tissues and binds it to the bones. Too much vitamin D without enough Vitamin K can be harmful because not only does it prevent calcium from getting to the bones, but it also can create excess calcium levels in the bloodstream, which can lead to heart disease, atherosclerosis, kidney stones, high blood pressure, and more. Good whole food sources of vitamin K are pasture raised grass fed beef, milk, and cheese, as well as fermented foods such as nattō.

Now we understand how vitamin D, vitamin K, and calcium connect, but there is one more player in this game: magnesium. Magnesium converts vitamin D into calcitrol, the active form necessary promote the absorption of calcium from the intestines.

Chocolate, coffee, coconut water, cooked greens, and some fruits are all great sources of magnesium. Because magnesium is a mineral and not a nutrient, supplementation may be necessary beyond these sources.

The synergistic magic of vitamin D, vitamin K, calcium, and magnesium work together to build higher bone density. To focus on your bone health, partake in weight-bearing exercise, avoid low-calorie diets, eat sufficient amounts of protein, maintain a healthy weight, and be aware of your intake of these elements. If you’re concerned about levels, ask your doctor about supplements. FY

BEING WELL

Salmon is an excellent source of Vitamin D

Jonnemarie Kahwaty is a dance and fitness instructor, musician, and aspiring herbalist with a passion for holistic health and wellness.

While you’re counting things

be thankful for, don’t forget the BIG WECK. Not only does WECK provide music you can’t hear anywhere else, but it’s also home to names you know and trust.

mornings with the incredible Joe Chille and finish them with former KB Radio legend Tom Donahue. In the afternoon, enjoy household name Roger Christian, followed by the exciting Bobby O show from 3:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. This month, WECK welcomes legendary Channel 2 sportscaster Ed Kilgore, to offer insights on every game. And don’t forget the Elvis Experience Sundays at 4:00 p.m., followed by Beatlemania at 5:00 p.m.

For oldies in Buffalo, there’s only one place to go: the BIG WECK. Listen on 1230AM, 102.9FM, 100.5FM, 100.1FM, at bigweck. com, on our app, or with voiceactivated devices.

Don’t forget that gravy for your sauteed filet of pigeon...

Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless,

Shula

November 2

100 Years of Broadcasting in Buffalo with Steve Cichon

Author of 100 Years of Buffalo Broadcasting Vol. 1: 1920 to 1970

Cichon talks about Buffalo’s

television

6-8 p.m., Buffalo History Museum (One Museum Court; buffalohistory.org, 873-9644)

November 12-13

Orchid Show

Opens November 9 Beehive

Six women sing the rock ’n’ roll music of the 1960s in a night of nonstop song and dance.

MusicalFare Theatre (4380 Main Street, Amherst; musicalfare.com, 839-8540)

November 18 Yo-Yo Ma

Along with the Niagara

Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens (2655 S. Park Avenue; buffalogardens.com, 827-1584)

The famous classical musician is here to perform with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra

night

7:30 p.m. Kleinhans Music Hall (3 Symphony Circle; bpo.org, 885-5000)

November 18-19

Kenan Arts Council Holiday Gift Show

Kenan Center’s forty-first

Show

well

Kenan Center (433 Locust Street, Lockport; Kenancenter.org, 433-2617)

throughout the campus.