Category: My Blog

By Dr. Gabriella Kőrösi

Standing in front of unimaginable beauty. The ocean brings the morning breeze. The sand feels cold to a point that numbing sensations kick in. I stopped feeling my feet. My toes turn red. Should I turn back? The thought crossed my mind just for a second. Immediately my mind and body screams: No, not yet. I keep going. The morning air filled with eagles and seagulls flying. I hear the familiar roar of the water and the waves clashing on the sand. Making my way through rocks and sandy grass to the ocean. There is that moment of anticipation when you know what is coming. The beauty, the power, and the surrounding calmness of the water. It is truly amazing how something so powerful can create the most Zen and mystical moments.

Closing my eyes for a few minutes. I can sense the ocean’s power, feel the wet sand under my feet, feel the wind’s gentle touch on my hair and my body. It seems like I can see even that my eyes are closed. I can see a reddish color with particles merging together between air and water and create a beautiful harmony like a well-practiced symphony. It feels like synergy at it’s best. I can see with all my other senses and feel the energy surrounding me. I am thankful and grateful to be here, to enjoy this moment. Feeling the sand on my feet brings a grounding sensation and closeness to the earth that feels natural, it feels like home. Moments like these create true joy and belonging to nature, being a part of everything surrounding us. We are the water. We are the air. We are the wind. We are the fire. Broken sand dollars and shells under my feet, I keep walking. The morning sun shines its calming red rays on my face. It feels wonderful to be here. My feet warms up as I keep walking. The numbing sensation is gone. My toe colors return to normal. The sand shows multiple patterns in front of me. It is nature’s foot massage. The ground in front of me is a hard surface crossing between flat or wavy while in other places it is so soft that my feet sinks into the ground.

It’s time to turn back. I say goodbye to the ocean until the next time.

Thank you for being here.

www.gabriellakorosi.org

https://gkorosi75.medium.com/

Challah Bread with a twist

By Dr. Gabriella Kőrösi

My grandmother loved baking and cooking for everyone in the family. I felt her love through food. She enjoyed cooking and enjoyed even more when we liked her cooking. She was an excellent cook, and her baking was also always magnificent. I have some recipes from her and one of my favorite one is challah bread what I call in Hungarian: Kalács. I called my grandma mama. Mama never measured anything she just felt what was right by experience. The only way to get the recipe is to watch her and measure things as she was putting them together. This is how the mama style kalács was born. I been using the base recipe for a long time and I been thinking about making it my own. I like to experiment with baking and sometimes succeed and sometimes not. This experiment happened to be a good one and I made an excellent kalács yesterday. I used my grandmother’s base recipe with some changes.

            Kalács is a little complex. It needs to rise the total of three times. Mama’s base recipe uses 1 kg flour, 6 dl of warm milk, 1 egg plus one for the top of the kalács, 5 spoonful of sugar, 1 and ½ spoonful of yeast, 2 spoonful of butter. The first spoonful of butter used with the initial mix the second after the first rise with the second mix.  Instructions: Mix yeast with sugar and some warm milk together and let it sit for about 5 minutes. When yeast is ready mix everything together. Let it raise until it doubles about 30 minutes. Rework the kalács dough again with the second teaspoonful of butter, let it double again. The next step is dividing the dough into 3 equal parts make a long strip of it then braid the 3 strips together. Fold the ends under. Let it rise one more time until doubles about 30 minutes in a warm place. Once it is done cover it with the egg and milk mix then bake for about 30 minutes in 350 F. The outcome is delicious kalács. You can add a sprinkle of poppy seed on top before baking it.

            I been making the kalács thins way the last 20 years. Yesterday I felt adventurous. I created a new recipe. I used the base recipe with a twist. I used honey instead of sugar. I used ½ amount of milk and ½ amount of macadamia milk. I just started using macadamia milk for hot chocolate and I love it.  I decided that I want each strip to be different and a little more fun. I created one with adding 1 teaspoon full of dark raw cocoa powder and one with a saffron soaked in about 2 tbsp of e=water and added about 1 teaspoon full of saffron oil. After the first mix I divided the dough to three equal parts. One I left the way it is. One I added the cocoa powder and worked it into the dough. The third I worked the soaked saffron and saffron oil into the dough. Everything else was the same except I did not have and eggs, so I used an egg replacement. I used a milk butter and honey mix to cover the kalács before baking. Baked in a pre-heated oven in 350 F for 30 minutes. I made 2 loafs instead of one from the 1 kg of flour. The outcome is a fun and very tasty kalács with a twist. As I was baking and then slicing the kalács I could hear what my mama would say. Good Job, this turned out great.

Thank you, mama, for making all those wonderful meals and baked goods for us when I was growing up. Thank you for the joy of baking. Thank you for teaching me to cook and bake.

Celebrate anyone who cooks or bakes for you today😊

https://gkorosi75.medium.com/a-gift-from-my-grandmother-love-of-baking-859893c38e92

Facing our own Mortality.

By Dr. Gabriella Kőrösi

Death is hard to face. It can be a sudden and unexpected visitor leaving shock, disbelief and sorrow behind.

The week started as any other normal week. People had enjoyed the weekend. There were wonderful conversations on Monday morning who did what during the last few days. Monday was great. Nobody knew yet that there was something wrong. Nobody at work and in the community anyway. The family knew that they were missing someone. By the next morning we all knew. He was not at work. He enjoyed the weekend, and something had happened. He did not return home. He did not come in to see his patients. He was missing. There was hope in the beginning. He was a survivor, people were hoping. I was hoping. There was hope for a little while, then this feeling sets in. He is not coming back. It has been too long. There is a moment when if you concentrate on a person you can feel their presence. I had stopped feeling that presence after a few days.

Then we heard the news. They had found his body and he is really not coming back. Even though everyone knew that this was a possibility. Now it was real. He is certainly not coming back. Death spoke his final words. There is no hope, there is nothing. He died. There is shock, disbelief, anger, and a multitude of emotions sit in. How and why, this had happened? He was such a wonderful man. Why did he had to die? He took care of so many others. He was an established pillar in his community. He died so sudden. Sadness sits in. Grief hits hard. Yet, life still goes on. One thing for sure in the middle of the storm everyone faces the loss and also face the fact that this could have been me. I could have died that day. Life is fragile and precious. If he died who was so full of life and charisma anyone can die at any moment.

Death is not something we think about every day. Yet in the past year there had been a lot of conversations about death. We are in the middle of a pandemic after all. More than 524,000 people had died just in the United States alone. A lot of souls to grieve. A lot of families left behind. There are so many deaths every day. This is different. All losses are hard, yet sudden unexpected loss seem to be the hardest. In the pandemic we know that deaths are a possibility. Someone leaving for the weekend to have fun and not coming back leaves deeper wounds. There is no time to prepare. There is no moments to hold a hand or to say goodbye. There is no chance to say the last words of love, caring or wisdom.  It can be hard to face death. There is no bargaining, there is no way out. He is really gone. He will be missed greatly by his family, friends, co-workers, patients, and his community.

I am grateful for all the wonderful work he had done in addictions, family practice and pain management. I hope he did not suffer. He will be missed by many.

Thank you, Dr. Cockcroft, for all you have done for so many.

May your soul and spirit rest in peace.

www.gabriellakorosi.org

https://gkorosi75.medium.com/

Daily Astorian: https://www.dailyastorian.com/news/local/seaside-doctor-remembered-for-spirit-of-service/article_9ed4b9da-7216-11eb-ba89-93df224d5c00.html

https://www.forevermissed.com/ben-david-cockroft/about

https://www.dailyastorian.com/news/local/community-event-planned-to-memorialize-late-seaside-doctor/article_fa004fb0-756b-11eb-9043-5b856bf58f44.html

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/

By Dr. Gabriella Kőrösi

It was a Friday afternoon I believe when I got my first notification that I am eligible to receive the COVID -19 Moderna vaccine. Even before that notification at work I had to fill out a questionnaire if I am willing to get the vaccine and how close I am to patients and providing patient care throughout the day. Once I received the notification I had to go to an app and pick a date and a time available for vaccination. Before the vaccination event I received 2 or 3 reminders about the vaccination time and place. I was very excited to receive the vaccine. Part of me was also scared. Not because we do not have enough information, I knew that the studies been valid, I done my research. I was scared that it is not going to be done in time to save the people who are most vulnerable. There had been too many deaths and we are far from over in the battle for life in this Pandemic. When I got to work Monday, I realized that the vaccination clinic was also looking for more help and I signed up to be the part of the clinic for both days. The day I received the vaccine my role was to be one of the observers after people received the vaccine and day two was to vaccinate people. Both roles were very interesting. We did the clinic in our conference rooms. People checked in outside in the hall, went through all necessary paperwork then came into the conference rooms to be vaccinated. We had three vaccination stations both days and the second half of the room was set up for post vaccination observation.  The vaccinators double checked the questionnaire filled out and asked questions about allergies, allergic reactions, immunocompromised conditions, and blood disorders. People who had any type of allergic reactions before vaccinations had to get a consultations with their primary care provider to discuss the benefits and possible reactions to the vaccine. In the post vaccination area, we provided follow up information about next steps, monitoring adverse effects, and recommending registration to the CDC ’s vaccine safe site. We monitored people between 15-30 minutes. One wonderful, unexpected effect in the post observation area was observing the connection between people. While some people were eager to get out when the 15 minutes was over, others were happy to stay and had engaging conversations with other staff members. Sometimes people forgot about the time and ended up talking to others and staying much longer than required. While I was in the observation role, we did not have anyone with any reaction to the vaccine. I received my vaccine at 15:10 at my scheduled time than went back to continue my observation of others. The vaccine itself did not hurt. I did develop some pain and local reaction by the next day. I registered to the CDC ’s v-safe site and received check ins for about a week every day after receiving the vaccination. The next day I was excited to participate in vaccine administration. Adding people in the ALERT vaccination system was also happening in real time. When I set up my station and got my first bag of vaccine, I felt like I am handling gold. Most people were very eager to receive the vaccine. Some people were nervous or anxious and asked some questions before receiving the vaccine. Most people did not even felt the vaccine administration. Many people did pictures and videos to create a memory of the vaccination. I made some pictures of vaccines, my vaccine station and posted some pictures that other people took of my while vaccinating. Overall receiving a vaccine and participating in the vaccination clinic had been a wonderful experience and I am hoping to be able to help out in other vaccination clinics in the future. Vaccines are still only part of the solution especially as we do not know how long the effectiveness will last. Preventing the spread by avoiding crowds, wearing a mask and hand hygiene are essential to help decrease the spread of the coronavirus.

Stay safe!

Wear a Mask

Get Vaccinated

www.gabriellakorosi.org

Resources:

The Power of the People: Peace

By Dr. Gabriella Kőrösi

          I opened my eyes today and I knew what I needed to write about. I can see it. Is it really possible? I see a rain drop. Not even a full force of a rain drop. In the beginning it is more like particles of mist. Imagine a misty morning. Stepping outside and feeling the gentle fresh water on your face. Small particles. Small wishes and hopes. That is how it starts. Small. A small part in each and every one of us.

Could we do this? Is this something people want? Is this something you want? I do believe so. I do believe that most people want peace. Peace in our hearts, our souls, and our neighborhoods. Peace for our families, friends and loved ones. Currently, we have over 7.8 billion people living on this planet we call earth. 7.8 billion people. A lot of power lives in numbers. If for example 7.7 billion people want peace, equity, love, caring, support, appreciation, and kindness in this world why 0.1 billion can stop this from happening? Why we have wars? Why we have fights over power and money? Why a few in power can decide how the rest of the people live and die?

Could 7.7 billion misty particles wake up and demand a better world? Not with tear gas and guns but with love, kindness, and appreciation for each other and what we have in this earth? Could you wish the best for your neighbor and support them when they need support? How about the person struggling down the street? How about someone you don’t know? Could we show that we can all be better? Could we look and treat each other as humans without judgement? Can we grow from a misty small particle to a full blown raindrop? A raindrop that has a peaceful force that sweeps away the few that want the distraction of peace? Is it possible? How many raindrops will it take to fill our dried out rivers again, to bring bounty to places where forests were cut down?  How many trees could we plant if we all just plant one? At least 7.7 billion. What you think? Will you be one of those rain drops? Will you be part of a river bringing hope and peace for the future?

www.gabriellakorosi.org

GK. 8/4/20

Take a moment. Look outside, what do you see? I see shades of green of lush evergreens. Ferns, flowers, birds. I see the sky that is a little gloomy this morning. Rain drops collecting on the front deck, paddles of rain providing water for thirsty birds. I see chickens walking around looking for tasty bugs to eat. I see peace and serenity. The leaves gently move with the morning wind. No judgement. No questions. Trees, plants , animals, survive the best they can. They need water, nourishment of good soil, sun. Then, just let them grow. If I want them to grow better I take care of them. Take the weeds out. Make compost from scraps of unused fruits, vegetables and make compost juice that I dilute with water to provide additional nourishment. Some plants are more temperamental then others. Regardless: basic needs of water, sun and some soil is needed for every plant to survive. Basic water and food for animals to survive.

I watch sadly in the world all the negativity and lack of kindness when it comes to treat each other as human beings. I am grateful for each and every person who is kind to another. Violence, racism, sexism, judgement, blame will not take us anywhere. All that brings is loss, tears and sorrow. I recently took a genetic testing. I was curious. What I learned was that I belong to most of the continents and most of the groups, generally of course. In my genetics I have European blood and Asian blood, African and Philippine, German and Italian, Slavic and Scandinavian, Peruvian and Indian. The list goes on. I am so mixed that I can only say that I am human. I belong to all. I care for all. I would only want to be judged by another person based on my actions. Not by looking at me with judgement because where I was born or where I live now or what color my skin is. My skin color does not tell you who I am, what have I done and what have I lived through in my life.

I do see some kindness in the world. I hope that it will spread. I hope that one day most people realize that we are the same. Life is tough as it is. So many people do not have even the basic things to survive. They do not have the food and water and shelter they need. They die. People die every day. Mother nature provides and takes away. We kill our environment, it kills us. People kill and hurt each other. It is hard enough to survive in this planet without having to deal with lack of kindness and continuous judgement. I do have hope. I do believe in the human race. I hope that for the future kindness will prevail. I hope that we will nurture each other that same way mother nature nurtures plants. I hope that each and every person who is kind to another will grow and provide a positive example to others to follow. I hope that we will survive and flourish.

Be kind.

            It started on a Saturday afternoon. The weather was beautiful, the sun rays showed their amazing play on the surrounding evergreens. I was standing by the kitchen sink, washing dishes, and was looking out on the window. I knew something was out of place. I was not sure what it was at first. I slowly closed the faucet, the water stopped running. Stillness. For a minute I was just standing there looking out of the window. I heard them before I saw them. It is not something I seen before, so I was unsure what was really going on. I just stood still with a million thoughts running through my head. What it that sound? My body just moved like if it knew that I had to do. I went to investigate. Took a closer look. I went outside to the front porch. Walked to the side of the house and stopped. Here they were. Many of them. Buzzing around happily by our roof. Their little wings flopping enthusiastically, exploring, checking out the place. I have to say it was the perfect spot for them. I was standing there trying to count how many. I think it was about 50 or maybe a 100 to start with. I was just standing there watching them. I was not sure what kind they were; I was just hoping that they were friendly. I knew that this was lucky in a way, we do need them, and their numbers have been declining for a while. They are in danger from so many things. I intuitively knew that this was also a problem, and also that I need to try to save them.

            Their little bodies were covered with fuzzy, yellow, and black striped coat. Honeybees. They were scouts and decided that our rooftop would be a perfect place for them to move in and build a new nest. Their visit was exciting and worrisome at the same time. I started to call around friends and people we knew who knew more about bees to get some ideas that might help us what to do with the bees.  I also started searching for ideas and learning from others more about the bees what do they like what they do not like. I learned that they do not like cinnamon and moth balls and like lemongrass. We did not want them to make a home in our house and started to come up with ideas how to gently move them out. We found someone who had an extra honey box that they brought to our house. They set it up on top of one of our small buildings next to the house. We made cinnamon water and started to shoot it up with a water gun, squirting it up to the rooftop where the bees were. Stuffed some moth balls up to the area as well. The buzzing were so loud we could hear it through the ceiling. Sleeping and wondering what will happen was difficult.

            The next day was also warm and beautiful. The buzzing got louder, and the dogs got terribly upset, they kept barking and barking continuously. I got the puppies inside and went outside to look around.  The buzzing got extremely loud. Nothing I ever heard before. I just listened for a while. Then, I walked outside by the side of the house and looked up. Well. The day before I had seen maybe 50-100 bees, now, they were everywhere. Thousands of them. Time has stopped. I stood silently, amazed, and shocked at the same time. I was scared and excited. The bees covered the whole house, it was a huge swarm. The weather changed suddenly, and the rain started. We have not seen the bees again for a long time and kept wondering if they have moved into the bee-box or not. It took about two weeks before the weather got warmer again. We heard them first, then I started to see them around the bee box. It was extremely exciting. We sent pictures and videos to the beekeepers. It seemed the bees moved into the box. I felt relieved. After about another week the beekeepers come and took the bees away to their home. When they lifted up the box, they estimated that there were about two pounds of bees in the box. I never even heard about bees referred by their weight before. I was glad that the bees now had a safe home and they moved out of our house. I found out the next day that two pounds of bees equal about 7,000 bees. We had saved 7,000 little lives. It made my day.

Save the bees.