William Penn Life, 2013 (48. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2013-07-01 / 7. szám
Tibor's Take with Tibor Check, Jr. A place for storing food... ...and one family’s story THE GATHERING POINT for my family is the kitchen, a quality my family shares with families around the world. Where else can one bear witness to just about every sensory experience imaginable except the kitchen? While visiting my parents one particular Saturday morning, I decided to rise early to brew my apa and anya a steaming pot of coffee. Currently, I am only allowed to utilize a stainless steel coffee pot when making this morning staple (see "Tibor's Take" from November 2011 for a more detailed explanation). From the rear kitchen window, I observed several hummingbirds momentarily stopping at the feeder to sip on some sugary nectar. These walnut shell-sized wonders offer a spectacular visual lesson in aerodynamic fundamentals. I also witnessed a red tailed hawk obtain its morning breakfast by silently swooping down and retrieving an unsuspecting mouse that was sitting on a sunlit patchwork of greenery that is part of a remote segment of the backyard. By rotating my chair, I was able to get a better viewing angle of the stove and coffee percolator. From this position, I could not help but notice the familiar, intruding bulk of a 20-square-foot refrigerator which took up a large portion of my viewing perspective. Our Whirlpool side-by-side refrigerator has been a silent and reliable mechanical servant since my family moved to Chesterland from Euclid. But, that day, that 17-year-old appliance looked different to me. It seemed to be sending me a subliminal message. As I gazed at this behemoth of household efficiency, I saw a temporary time capsule of Cseh csálad activities, a celebration of our life as a family. If a person wanted to learn about our family, a visual review of what is mounted on our refrigerator would be the equivalent of reading the Cseh storybook. The two exposed sides of this white, insulated box offer a visual perception of my family dating back generations. Some items are attached with tape or gum-like adhesives, but most are held up by decorative magnets. Unfortunately, a quick snap on closing the door or an unheralded in-house breeze can cause some articles to come crashing down upon the dark oak floor. The front opens with parallel doors, and each holds a vast array of photographs, including more than a dozen pictures of relatives. Most of the photos are of children. Christine Kobasic, a member of WPA Branch 28, has the distinction of having a photograph in this section of prominence and distinction. Along the bottom of one door lies a 12 x 14 inch flagemblazoned refrigerator magnet that says: "Too Young to be Corrupt! Vote for T. Check as Trustee!" When I graduated high school in 2009,1 had a far-fetched notion to run for trustee of Chesterland. I had flyers printed and several magnet signs created so that they could be attached to vehicle doors for high exposure endorse*1 I ment. Unfortunately for my township, I was not elected. That magnet now serves as a both an inspiration and deterrent to any future political aspirations. Other magnets offer their own stories. Most of these magnets define either our nationality, hobbies or religion. We have a photo magnet of my dad's 1953 Chevy truck. It was given to him a few years back by my sister for Father's Day. The magnet calls attention to itself because of the truck's wild orange color. There are several magnets that were acquired by my anya while on the WPA tour of Hungary last year. Each of those ornately painted paper holders has a story. My mom loves to tell the tale of each one. For example, the Tihanyi magnet is one that was part of the Balaton segment of the excursion. Others cue memories of Prague, Bratislava, Herend, the Central Market, St. Stephen, Esztergom, Parliament, Dunakiliti, Gerbeau Kavéház and the Chain Bridge. My mother actually changes the magnets on occasion to give us a fresh new batch of stories to tell of the 2012 WPA trip. Recently, a new segment of the refrigerator has been cordoned off. Pictures, greeting cards and letters from my newly-discovered relatives in Csőt and America are held there (see the April 2013 edition of "Tibor's Take"). A few days ago, my apa received a photo via the Internet from cousins Olga and Árpád of Csőt. The picture is dated 1943. My father never saw the picture before. The kép shows my Grandfather and Great-grandfather Cseh, along with my Great-Uncle Mihály, standing alongside an obscure section of their new home on Midlothian Boulevard in Youngstown. It is amazing how a revela-6 0 July 2013 0 William Penn Life
