Selçuk and Pamukkale, Turkey

October 6, 2015

After our stay in Istanbul, we made our way through a few more Turkish towns, the next of which were Selçuk and Pamukkale.

Selçuk was a charming town with much to offer. Everyone we met was incredibly kind and hospitable and there was plenty to explore, not least of which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - the ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus. It was fascinating to walk through this city and imagine the Biblical stories I knew as a child happening within the streets, temples, and the great theater.

Selçuk also claims to be the origin of the Virgin Mary, and you can visit her supposed home, which is 7 km outside the town. We planned to ride bicycles, thinking 7 km wasn't so far, but we didn't realize those 7 km were almost entirely uphill. We stopped at a statue of the Virgin Mary a couple kilometers up the hill and called it good enough! The ride was still a highlight of our stay, as we came across several flocks of sheep and even a ewe who just gave birth to triplets! We also stopped by the cave of the Seven Sleepers.

Our next stop was Pamukkale, which was one of the places I was most excited to visit since I had seen incredible pictures. Unfortunately, it wasn't as grand as we expected because its famous white travertines are drying up and had little water during that particular time of year. Still, we enjoyed taking some artistic shots in the reflections of the pools that remained and we were also able to explore the ancient city of Hierapolis.

September finds

October 1, 2015

A few of my favorite finds in the month of September:

Top favorite: Brandon Stanten has done it again. If the Syrian refugee crisis has been on your mind (and even if it hasn't) you absolutely must spend time reading the stories Brandon has collected. Normally featuring people on the street of New York City, Humans of New York has traveled to Europe and used the power of story to connect us with those facing some of the hardest parts of the human experience.

Favorite video: One of my all-time favorite books, The Prophet, is now a movie and it looks like it will be beautiful. Can't wait to watch it. Here's the trailer.

Favorite article: Does our society place more value on production than on care-giving? How can we shift out of our toxic work world?

Favorite recipe: Start your day off right with a big pan of shakshuka for breakfast.

Favorite new song: Need a lovely song playing in the background as you work/read/meditate/converse? Here's one.

Favorite quote: Sometimes I think we are losing the art of conversation. Thomas Merton left us with a nibble of wisdom to help with that.

“If you want to identify me, ask me not where I live, or what I like to eat, or how I comb my hair, but ask me what I am living for, in detail, and ask me what I think is keeping me from living fully for the thing I want to live for.”

— Thomas Merton

Favorite comedic relief: Have a giggle at the expense of the Pope. Something tells me Pope Francis would laugh right along with you.

Favorite new word: Transmogrify - to transform, especially in a surprising or magical manner. Spotted in the book The River Why

Favorite product: This adorable bunny, crocheted by women in Uganda and made from Ugandan cotton. His name is Max. I'm trying to convince Leo to love him as much as I do.

Istanbul, Turkey

September 29, 2015

In 2011, Eric and I took Turkish airlines to the states for a Christmas trip, so we connived a long, 10-day layover in Turkey on the way back home to Uganda. Turkey is an incredible country with so much more to explore than 10 days could afford. It is a fabulous mix of great history and contemporary lifestyle, of Europe and the Middle East. It literally crosses 2 continents and embraces a variety of lifestyles and thoughts. Turkey has a culture and a language all its own and you'll immediately sense and respect the Turkish people's pride in their nation.

Istanbul was naturally our first stop and although we were there for a few days, we could easily have stayed several more. We spent most of our time on the big attractions, which gave us plenty to appreciate! We visited the grand Aya Sophia and Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and explored the Spice Bazaar. We crossed the Bosphorus Straight and roamed the streets of Beyoglu. I loved all of it, but my absolute favorite experience of Istanbul was visiting a hamam - a Turkish bath.

Enjoy a few of my photos from Istanbul and consider putting it toward the top of your travel list!

My time: the rituals and margins

September 21, 2015

Time flies. When I was 2 weeks overdue with Leo, I sat around twiddling my thumbs all day and badly wanted him to arrive just so I would have something to do. Now, that's hilarious. Since he came into our lives, I have a whole new relationship with time, one that is now defined by my personal rituals and the margins of time I have here and there. Rituals stop the doing and let me simply be in time and the other requires the maximum use of time. Both are important in their own ways.

Those first few days and weeks of Leo's life completely blurred together and I wouldn't have been able to tell one from another if it weren't for a couple of rituals I've implemented into my life. Rituals provide us a way to mark time and allow for a special observance of events. In a way, they give us our time back by simply honoring it.

Each day, I take one photo and I write just a bit about my day. Then, before going to bed, I write 3 things I'm grateful for and one thing I love about myself. These are my rituals. They have given me a chance to stop and observe what has happened, to appreciate what has passed, and to internalize it all before moving forward with the time that flies. They put little markers in the timeline of my forward-moving life and give me something to look back upon in appreciation.

And now that I've made an attempt to get back into my previous life, with all its responsibilities and demands, I find myself using the margins of my time more than ever. I've become an expert at creatively using the tiny slots of time within my day to accomplish something. Thank God for smart phones. Suddenly a traffic jam is an opportunity to send an email and waiting for something on the stove to boil is a chance to clean up around the house.

In the midst of it all, I've tried to land on a daily practice for solitude and silence. Some days, that seems out of the question and other days I snag those moments when Leo is napping or late at night. I try to remind myself that balance does not mean doing it all and I hold onto the small rituals that give it all meaning.

Homemade bone broth

September 15, 2015

Bone broth is one of the most commonly-made food items in our household because 1) it's super easy, 2) it's used in several recipes, and 3) word has it, there are several health benefits. (I guess there's a reason your momma made you chicken noodle soup when you were sick.)

So here's the know-how:

Get some leftover chicken (or beef, turkey, etc.) bones (I'll keep them in the freezer until I'm ready to use them)
Get some leftover veggies and herbs (or collect your veggie ends in a bag in the freezer until ready to use)

Put everything in your slow cooker and douse it in about a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, which supposedly "leeches" out the nutrients. Put in just enough water to cover everything, and put your slow cooker on low. I'll leave the slow cooker on while I sleep or when I'm at work, for at least 8 hours. You'll wake up or come home to the most delicious and comforting smell! Strain the bones and veggies out and voila! You have a yummy and healthful broth. You could drink it as is, or put it in the freezer for future use. I mostly use the broth for soup recipes, giving mymeals a richer flavor and a more healthful kick.