Monday Monday

The savory oatmeal bake was a success. It is very tasty. However, next time I might use another egg or  use a large egg. What I have is medium eggs at this time.

Today, I decided to run my stick vacuum through the apartment. If I do this, every two or three days, I can keep my apartment dust free between cleaning lady visits. I keep clean surfaces now that I have decluttered significantly so, dusting is a breeze. A quick run around the apartment with a microfiber cloth does the job in about 10 minutes.

In the past, I loved to display all sorts of knick knacks. Now, no more. Clean and clear surfaces are so much easier to maintain and gives me peace.

My lentil sprouting experiment was a success. I think, I will be sprouting them fairly regularly from now on.

My sourdough starter experiement was a bust and I also did not like the idea of discarding significant amounts of it. Such a waste. (Edit: I found out that the discards could actually be used but, I don't want to bake so much). So, I found another recipe with no discards.

I am now trying this one and so far, it seems to be going well.  I am hoping to bake my first loaf sometime this week. Jack is funny and cute. He seems to have mastered bread making. 

For the next three or four days or so, I do not need to worry about cooking. This means my kitchen will stay neat for a while.

Here is a frugal win: Despite the fact that Istanbul's tap water is supposedly potable, I get water delivered and I used to boil pasta and veggies, cook, make coffee and tea, with this delivered water. I usually get two 5 gallon/19 liters bottle every week. I decided to purchase a Brita water pitcher. Yes, there is an upfront cost and there are the filters one needs to purchase but, still when I did the math, it made a lot of sense. So, now I am drinking the water that I purchase and using the filtered water for all other purposes. 

Wishing everyone a great week! Here is one of my favorite oldies:

The Oatmeal Bake

After receiving your encouraging comments and checking to see if the oats still smelt fine with no bugs and any other unwanted stuff in them once again, I decided to make an oatmeal bake. Most recipes call for sweet ingredients like, fruit and sugar. I wanted a savory recipe this time. So, a very short search on the Internet helped me find this recipe.

I had leeks, chard and sweet potatoes so, those are what I used. I also did not use the tomato paste and Italian herbs. The veggies are sauteed and tomorrow morning, I will make the oatmeal bake. Will let you know how it will turn out.

I got up late today but, I still took two naps during the day. I rather dozed off  I should say. Don't know why. Hope, I can sleep tonight. Most nights I cannot sleep before 2-3 a.m. in the morning.

Gotta go and hang the one load of laundry I did today.

Temptations

Lately, I have been watching lots of de-cluttering and organizing videos and some of those videos were tempting me to go out and buy all matching containers for the pantry, clear organizers for the bathroom cabinet, all sorts of zippered organizers to put my clothes in order etc.

I loved the containers I bought from IKEA yesterday and all of a sudden I found myself imagining how wonderful it would be if I bought different sizes to store everything in my pantry. 

Then it dawned on me that some of those videos are unreal. I mean who can keep all their jars in military order? Some of those organized pantries look like you need to stand at attention and then salute them. No, thanks.

It's not like I have a large family with a huge pantry with lots of stockpiling items and 100+ jars of homecanned food. I have one large and deep kitchen drawer dedicated to pantry items and a small 4-tier shelf on my balcony which I got during the pandemic to store some extra canned veggies and tomato products along with canned fish. 

So, I emptied the pantry drawer and cleaned it out. Then I checked the expiration dates of everything in it. I found the last of red kidney beans which have expired. I soaked them to make vegetarian chili. I also found some rolled oats that expired last year this month and they still smell good. I do not know if I should use them. What do you think? 

I was able to re-claim some space on my counter too so, it's a happy day.

I am now thinking why human mind is wired to be tempted? I am watching frugality, re-organization, de-cluttering, minimalism videos and I get tempted to try many things I see.

Well, now I am leaving you with The Temptations. Gotta go and try making those bagels that I saw on a Vlog yesterday.

Friday Things

Today was a busy but, good day. 

The cleaning lady came today. I provide lunch for her because, she comes around 10 a.m. and leaves by 5 p.m. I made Chicken Francese served over pasta and she enjoyed it.

 After lunch, I left for IKEA. It is literally 15 minutes from where I live. There are a total of 3 IKEA stores in Istanbul and two are close to me.

I was looking for suitable containers to store flour and a silicone baking mat. I found the containers but, they were out of the baking mats. I also found these shoe bags and grabbed three of them to use while traveling. I used to use old grocery bags and they were rather flimsy and throwing them out each time after use was filling the landfills with plastic. Nowadays, I am using re-usable bags for groceries. These shoe bags look sturdy and they are washable. 

Today, I got rid of the paint cans left from the painting of the house in June. There weren't much paint left in any of them anyway.

I also got rid of an old broom and dust pan which were in poor condition. I have a small dust pan and a brush and those are enough for I barely use them. I also tossed some old papers such as expired insurance policies, services that have been cancelled, etc. These days almost everything is digital. I am down to three binders where I keep necessary papers. 

Before I returned home, I also went to the Farmers Market briefly to get just a few veggies to tie me over till next Friday.

I currently have two "experiments" going on right now. The lentils are sprouting. I can probably put them in my salad in a few days. I also started a sourdough starter. I had failed on this one in the past but, we'll see.

I had an interview at 5:30 p.m. Another candidate for the current customer. 

So, all in all it was a productive day.

Wishing everyone a good weekend.

Bibs and Aprons

I need to wear an adult size bib for meals. I have no idea why but, I always stain my shirts when I am eating. I am not a sloppy eater by any means but, a small piece of oily food always manages to take a dive off my fork and makes a messy landing on my shirts.

Considering either this one in 3XL:

Photo Credit:https://www.vkaire.in/blogs/news/newborn-baby-bibs-101-everything-that-you-need-to-know

Or, a napkin worn this way, just like the gentleman in the picture:

Photo Credit: ClassicStock / Masterfile

I do a lot of cooking from scratch and I have three aprons which I almost always forget to wear. Thus, I usually end up with wet clothes or clothes with food splatter. Especially, if tomatoes or red beets are involved, there is no escaping.

I think, I should be in a Victorian Maid garb all day long. 

Photo Credit: The Daily Victorian

I guess,  I should start by sewing adult size bibs and try one of the above after honing my sewing skills. 

Life is Complicated

A fellow blogger Anne, shared that another blogger friend Sam's husband has passed away last week. I am so sorry for Sam and wish her peace and comfort during this extremely hard time. 

The unexpected  passing of fellow blogger Kim's husband, her reader Hilogene's husband and now Sam's husband made me decide to finally take action about my will. I am so sorry for all the ladies and they are always in my thoughts these days. My dad had passed suddenly when he was only 54 and I know how hard it is to deal with such a loss. Wishing them strength, peace and comfort.

For a long time, I have been thinking about how I could guarantee the well being of my loved ones after I pass. In this country, the law is pretty clear cut and I always thought, one could not exclude anybody who is a rightful heir. I found out that this was partially true. Say if you have two kids and you want to leave your estate to only one of them, the excluded kid is entitled to take the matter to court and at a minimum he/she will be eligible for 15% of the entire estate. In some cases, they can even get half as they should have.

In my case, I have no kids. I have a sister, an uncle and three cousins from my two late uncles. I am estranged from one of them and I certainly do not want my belongings to go to her. I have been told I can make a will, get two people to witness it and have it notarized. However, I do need some more information and guidance because my uncle's business went bankrupt and in case he inherits something of value, he may end up losing it altogether. Also, my sister and one of my cousins is married. I want only my cousins to benefit from my estate, nobody else. I do not have a problem with BIL and I am sure, if both SIS and I pass before him, he will certainly take care of my uncle and my two cousins. He is an only child so, there are no complications on his end except for the fact that, his dad is still alive. 

I found a lawyer through a friend of mine and hopefully I am going to set up an appointment this week or the next to sit down and ask my questions and also how I should structure my will.

I made a family tree and am preparing my questions so that, I can use the time efficiently.

This is a morbid and cold subject but, it needs to be taken care of sooner than later.

Wishing everyone a peaceful week, long and healthy lives with their loved ones.

Loss Leaders

I noticed that one of my grocery stores published a flyer with some loss leaders.I was going to go out to buy yogurt so, I went to this store and bought 2 kgs of chopped beef, a big bag of whole wheat tortillas, string cheese, some canned veggies, butter and wild rice. A pack of smoked salmon jumped into my cart without me noticing. That will top at least three salads. The meat, butter and the tortillas will go into the freezer. Thankfully, I have enough space now to make this work. 

I had beans in the freezer so, tomorrow's dinner will possibly be burritos. 

I checked the expiration dates on my canned goods and found some that will expire this year, so I pulled them together and placed them on the upper shelf. Every January, I check my spice cabinet to see if anything needs to be tossed an replenished. I will do that one of these days.

Tonight's dinner will be fish and salad. The fish is thawed in the fridge and ready to be popped in the oven with a bit of olive oil. I had shredded whatever was left of the iceberg lettuce and the cabbage. So, it is going to be so easy to put together a salad. I also have cauliflower that I had boiled. I mash it up, add lemon juice, olive oil and salt to it. This is the only form of cauliflower that I like.

Here is my list for tomorrow's Farmers Market:

- Broccoli

- Avocados

- Cabbage/Bell Peppers/Zucchini/Chard whichever looks better and fresh (to stuff)

- Red Beets

- Arugula

- Radishes

- Onions

- Parsley and green peppers for my version of a tabbouleh

- In case I do not get a cabbage to stuff, Brussel Sprouts

Plus any other veggies or greens that catch my eye.  I may also get some fruit. My favorite is Satsuma Mandarins but, I think their season is over now. I do not like the other kinds. We'll see.

Then I will check out my fishmonger to see if I would like anything. It is warmer than usual and fresh fish is not great when the weather is so mild. 

Gotta go and pay my semi-annual car taxes on both cars and wire the money to a contractor in Antalya who is working on repairs of the apartment complex. We are paying in installments. 

Status of my Grocery Challenge

As mentioned before, I am trying to eat whatever is on hand with the exception of dairy and some greens. Last week I shopped for a small number of things that were supposed to tie me over till Friday when I want to go to the Farmers Market that I like. There is still quiet a bit.

Tonight's Dinner: Chicken pot pie and salad

Wednesday Dinner: Leftovers and salad

Thursday Dinner: Fish from the freezer and salad

All the chicken in the fridge will have been consumed as soon as I finish eating the pot pie. 

There is a package of chopped meat in the freezer. Depending on what is best in the market, I may make either cabbage rolls or stuffed grape leaves or stuffed peppers/tomatoes and zucchini with that over for the weekend.The cabbage rolls I made last time were pretty good.

As for dairy, I will need to buy either yogurt or milk to make my own.

My goal is to consume all meat and pre-frozen meals in my freezer to be consumed before, I go get more meat. 

There is still too many ziplock bags of tomatoes I pureed at the end of summer. I think, next time, I will not bother with that. The sliced tomatoes I froze were better. I am planning on making a veggie lasagna next week. One bag of tomato puree can go into that.

I do miss my old small freezer which had to go during the kitchen renovation. 

It is a dark, cloudy day today so, I think a hot cocoa is necessary to lift my mood up. 

Happy Birthday Dad!

My dad passed away in 1994. He would have turned 83 today. Such a long time...

He was a worrywart and I think that's why he died so young. A ruptured aorta took him away within a matter of 8 hours. He was always worried about his brother's alcoholism, my grandma becoming old and frail (she outlived him by 7 years) and my sister and I, how our lives will turn out and etc. I guess the only person he did not worry about was Mom. She was always the rock.

I put some bed linens that I have brought from mom's last time I was in Ankara and I realized they were ironed. She must have ironed them and put them away because none of us iron bed sheets. The kinda smelt like her or so I thought. I had a good cry. I still feel blue today.

I threw myself into some tasks to shake the feeling.

I cleaned my medicine drawer. here are the before and after pictures:

Then I decided to bake a bread. Bobbie had suggested this website: Jenny Can Cook for a No Knead Bread. Never made that bread but, today I made this Honey Wheat Bread and the Homemade Tortillas.

The Honey Wheat Bread turned out to be awesome! It is so tasty. Back in 1996, I went to Killington, VT and there was a restaurant called The Grist Mill which no longer exists. They had served this wonderful bread with my dinner and I asked the waitress what it was because it was so good. She told me it was their honey braid bread and brought me another roll wrapped in a napkin to take home for breakfast the next day. Such a nice gesture. This bread reminded me of that bread I had at The Grist Mill.

I need to practice more for the tortillas. I am not an expert on rolling dough. They were a bit shapeless and thicker than they should be but, tasted fine. 

There are a bunch of breads that I want to try from this site. Thank you Bobbie for recommending it.

It is time to....

It is time to de-clutter because for some reason, I feel de-cluttering vibes in the air. 

Whenever a space is overflowing with stuff, be it a drawer, or a closet, we know, it is time to de-clutter. Today, I was thinking why wait? Why not get rid of something that we notice right away?

Each time I open one of my kitchen drawers, I see this huge bowl which I never use. It just sits there holding pantry staples making it hard to see the items and it also restricts the space. I do not remember why I bought it.

There is a 6 piece set of shish (for kebap making) which came with my oven. It has been seven years and they have not been used once. They just take up space.

I have this wonderfully made, real top quality leather briefcase since 1997. I loved it when I bought it but, since it weighs a ton, I haven't used it in years. 

Brand new skis. Never been used. Every year I promise myself, I will get rid of them but, never do. Of course there are also the clothing items with tags still on. They make me cringe with guilt. 

There is this toaster gifted to me that sits in one of my kitchen drawers just taking up space. I have a toaster oven which I love and use almost every day.

I decided that mindful purchasing and constant de-cluttering is the way to go. When you have to take the whole closet down to de-clutter, it becomes such an overwhelming chore that, I almost always avoid it for as long as possible.

So, with this mindset, today I took out the bowl, the leather bag, the shish set, a few clothing items I have not worn in more than a year and piled them up by the door. I found a lot of hangers that I do not need. Set aside 5 extra hangers and I am parting with the rest. I will offer the toaster to the guys who work for the apartment complex. I know they have an area where they have meals and breaks during the day and the toaster may be useful for them.

I have taken the skis out and took a few pictures of them. As I type this, they are listed on Facebook Marketplace.

Thinking back, I think I am in a great place in terms of de-cluttering as opposed to last year but, I know I can do even more. I will be tackling one space or two every day and get rid of unnecessary stuff. Tomorrow I will be targeting my medicine drawer. It has been a while I went through that and I am sure there are expired meds. 

I found a bunch of old and unopened tennis balls. I will offer them to the people who play tennis right by me when I go out. If they are not good, they can toss them away.

Severing sentimental attachments is the worst. It makes me feel guilty getting rid of something I associate with my mom for instance but then, I tell myself it is the time I spent with her and the good memories that count. Stuff is meaningless. Even she is gone, so why hold on to things. With that said, I still cling to several things and am not ready to part with them just yet.

Today, as I was making my bed, I noticed a few drops of blood on my bed sheet and pillow. Don't know if my nose bled or if I had a cut or something. All I could think was LAUNDRY! Again? Just ot rid of it. Instead of dumping them in the hamper, I threw them in the washer. 

Now, I gotta go and fix dinner. Pumpking soup and salad are on the menu tonight. 

Mystery Solved

I have mentioned that, we were trying to reach a candidate whom we interviewed last week. Her silence made me worried about her well being because, this was not normal. Even if she did not want to meet the customer, she should have at least texted to say so.

It turned out that she had to leave town on an emergency, involving hospitalization of her mother. I am sorry that her mother is sick but, also relieved that she is well. 

I texted the customer letting them know about the situation and that they were also sorry for her and said they would interview her whenever she becomes available.

I went to Bank F to open an investment account and met a very nice customer rep. The process took about a half hour. While we waited for a few authorizations, she offered me coffee and we chatted a bit.

I have a busy day ahead of me tomorrow with both my part-time jobs. I will not be home for most of the day so, no cooking.

Need to remember to pull out an eggplant dish and a chicken breast in marinade from the freezer tomorrow night for the weekend. I will probably make either a tomato or pumpkin soup too. I have lots of salad fixings so, I should be fine. 

I got rid of all the laundry but, it isn't actually possible is it? As soon as you are done, you start to fill it up again. It's OK. I do not mind it really.

My BFF from the US, M, and I are watching Treason on Netflix these days. We are avid followers of spy/detective/murder mystery type of stuff and we notice a lot of things that does not make sense and the first twoepisodes, there were a lot of those but, now the subject has become interesting. Too bad, it is a mini series. One of my favorite British actors, Ciaran Hinds is a villain. I don't like it when my favorites are bad guys. 

I suggested M, we should start watching Wednesday after this.

Hope everybody is having or has had a good day.

No heading for this post

You know I work part time as a headhunter. We have been experiencing a strange situation lately. I interviewed a young woman and recommended her to our Customer. They agreed to interview her right away which is great, right? So, I called the candidate and she did not answer her phone. OK, she is busy. No problem. 

I waited and waited but, she never returned my call so, I sent her a WhatsApp message. She read it, no answer. I asked my young colleague to call her since I was going to be busy today. She called. No answer. I sent another message telling her that we had been trying to reach her and hoped everything was OK with her. She read the message. No answer. Another colleague called her. No answer. 

I finally decided to send her an e-mail thinking that may be her phone has been stolen or something. If we receive no answer, I will wait till the evening tomorrow and let the company know that she is not getting back to us. I do not know whether I should be worried about her health or safety. Is it ignorance? Can it be? I have no idea. Just so strange.

Today, I had two different bank experiences for the same transaction. 

I am sure I have mentioned that I keep some of my foreign currency in safety deposit boxes because I do not trust the Government. I had two safety deposit boxes at two different banks on two different continents. They are not too expensive to have and until today, they have served their purpose.

I have been contemplating to get rid of them for a while now, because a big earthquake is expected in Istanbul. So, I had moved most of my money and gold coins to a safety deposit box in Ankara and both my SIS and I can access that which makes it mor econvenient and sensible.

Last week, the customer rep of one of the banks that I work with called and offered an investment opportunity. I researched it and it made sense, so I decided to add the amounts I had in the SDBs to my account and invest. It also provided me the reason to go and close the two SDBs.

So, I went to Bank A, took a number, waited for about 5 minutes for a bank person to take me downstairs. I then had to sign a couple of papers and I was out of there in 15 minutes tops.

I then when to Bank Z, and was told I had to wait for about 40 minutes because they had specific times that they served SDB customers. I asked them where they posted this information and the teller said "On the SDB entrance" you know the big ass steel door which you can only see when they take you downstairs. I sighed and did not say anything. After all, I am not going to deal with them again. I would understand it if the branch was crowded but it wasn't. 

So, I missed the opportunity to go to Bank F and sign up for the investment today. I have to go there tomorrow. Oh, well...

Monday Edition with Pictures

Today, I had a piece of cheesy bread with my French Onion Soup for lunch. Dinner will be a big salad with some shredded chicken.

Although the cabbage I bought was pretty small, I think I can make some cabbage rolls so, I separated about 10-12 outer leaves and washed them. Took out the chopped meat from the freezer. I shredded half of the remainin cabbage to use in a healthy version of slaw or just add to my salads.

I have loads and loads of laundry to do. My drying rack is not sufficient for this big job. Yesterday's cleaning rags are already occupying the lower rack as you can see.

I usually put two lines between the doors in the corridor at my home. My mom had come up with this trick and she even tied the hooks to my door hinges herself. Here is what the contraption looks like:

I use this to air dry bed linens and large towels. When I am done, I just take the rope out and the hooks remain behind the doors.

I would like the convenience of a dryer but, I neither have the space nor the electrical circuitry. 

My washer is also  one of the small versions available because of space restrictions. It can wash a load of 6 kg. which is about 13.2 lb. Since I live alone, that is quite sufficient.

I have started my fourth load and I think I have enough dryer rack space for kitchen towels too but then, I am done for the day. This is why I mostly never accumulate laundry. I do a load or two whenever there is enough to wash. 

Tomorrow I have errands to run during the day and when I get home in the afternoon, I may be able to finish the laundry. 

Oh those plans...

I was planning to go to a Farmers Market today but, ended up going to a grocery store instead. Here is a picture of my mini haul.

I am hoping that these, along with my pantry and fridge contents will tie me over till next Friday. The orange juice was an impulse purchase but, I couldn't help it. The guy squeezed it right in front of me and it is so good. The string cheese is for breakfast and for snacking. 

I cut up the chicken breasts and put them in a lemon marinade. Portion sizes are being frozen at the moment. I have also made the French Onion Soup. Yay! Tonight's dinner was soup and salad.

I think the Farmers Market open on Fridays is the best. I will use what is already on hand till next Friday. 

Today I received my new yearly homeowner's insurance policy in mail and I could not believe my eyes so, I asked the insurance guy what is going on. Apparently the Government has tripled something that makes insurance this expensive. Absolutely ridiculuous!

I really do hope that the house in Konya will be sold this year. Tired of spending money for nothing.

Tomorrow I will go back to exercising which I have stopped a while ago. Hopefully. Wish me luck!

Busy Monday

A busy day is ahead of me tomorrow. 

The cleaning lady will come around 9:30 a.m. and, I will take uncle to the train station at 11:00 a.m. Then, I will go to the farmers market. Every day, there are farmers markets in some neighborhoods in our cities. The closest one to me is on Sundays. I do not like that because, it is impossible to park and is usually very crowded. I prefer a couple of others, one on Mondays and another on Fridays. They usually take up a few side streets in the neighborhood and everybody knows those streets will be closed on certain days. These markets have a lot of vendors and their produce is much fresher than the grocery stores.

After my grocery run, I will go to our office to work for a couple of hours. On my way back, I will quickly grab some chicken/turkey and fish. 

I am hoping to clean up and prepare my fresh produce once I come home. If stored properly, nothing will be wasted. I also would like to finally make the French Onion Soup I have been craving. Uncle was not too keen on it so, I did not make it earlier. Let's see if I will be able to do all this.

The last two nights, I have slept rather poorly. Do not know what is wrong. I blame the heat so, I shut off the heater in my bedroom. Central heating is efficient generally but, for people who do not like heat much, it is an unnecessary expense.

Wishing everyone a great week!

Yogurt, Bread and Sprouts

I have been contemplating about making my own yogurt, baking a few loaves of bread at a time to freeze and grow some sprouts. I made the first two but, never grew sprouts before.

I can get raw milk, and make my own yogurt like grandma used to do. I boil the milk on low heat for a long while stirring frequently. I like to mix 2 parts cow's milk and 1 part buffalo milk for a rich creamy yogurt. I use a small container of organic yogurt as a starter. This probably does not save me any money but, I like to do it. Sometimes the yogurt does not turn out to be great. In that case, I turn it into cheese. It's never wasted.

I want to control the ingredients of my bread. I still need to make the bread Bobbie recommended. Didn't have time to do it while I had a house guest.

I came across some videos about growing sprouts and micro greens and it looks like fun. They are supposed to be very nutritious. The best thing is that they do not need sun. I can grow them in my balcony. I think, I will start with lentils because I already have green lentils on hand.

Does anybody grow sprouts at home?

I tried making kimchi. It turned out fine. I think. However, I do not like it. So, for gut health, I would rather drink kefir and eat probiotic yogurt. I've decided fermented veggies are not my thing. Good to know my palate. I will try not to waste the kimchi. I will rinse small portions of it and add to my stir fried veggie dishes whenever I make them. 

As much as I love my uncle, being around him makes me eat in a very unhealthy manner. He normally does not eat like that when he is alone and nor do I. When he is with company, every day becomes a feasting day for him. So, I am glad, he is leaving on Monday and I promised myself to eat only healthy things and in moderation till I go to visit him in May. 

Also, I am used to living alone so much that, I miss having my apartment to myself. It has almost been over a month since we co-habited at first in Ankara and then in Istanbul. Not that he is a difficult guest but a guest nonetheless. He is also missing his apartment and his toys back home along with warm weather in Antalya. To give you an idea, right now, it is 1℃ in Ankara, 8℃ in Istanbul and 14℃ in Antalya where he lives.

Hoping that you are all having a great weekend!

Plans

I have postponed my physical to February 15th. Uncle and I have been enjoying rich food lately so, I should get back on track with healthy eating and exercising. He is leaving on Monday. 

I am setting myself a goal of eating fish and chicken only till my physical. No red and fatty meat. I will also be eating lentils, beans and chick peas with lots of fresh greens. Also, decided to limit my carb consumption and see how that goes. 

I have also been spending a bit too much. So, from 10th of January till the end of February, I am limiting my purchases to fresh produce, dairy and water only. I will pay the regular bills, the cleaning lady, pay for my physical and fill my gas tank once during this time. No clothing items, toiletries, impulse buys and etc.

Whenever I challenge myself like this, something always comes up and I end up spending money. We'll see how this one will go.

Earlier, I had mentioned that I was watching some YouTube channels. I would like to share them here:

- https://www.youtube.com/@AcreHomestead Becky is a young mom. She likes to plant veggies, can her garden harvest and preserve all sorts of food. She is a very positve young woman. I like to watch her videos.

- https://www.youtube.com/@TheOutsiderCabin Father and son built a cabin in the woods. Unfortunately the dad passed last year. Their building process is fun to watch.

- https://www.youtube.com/@ImprovedHealth I like to do exercises with this lady. She is very cool and not talkative. She has exercises for older people or people who are starting again.

- https://www.youtube.com/@country_life_vlog This is a blog from Azerbaijan. There is barely any talk but, I am so hooked to watching them. They keep a very clean farm. They also have a small cabin in the mountains. What they cook is similar to what we have at home but, the lady makes enormous amounts at a time. They also can and preserve food. Very interesting to me. Rarely they talk a little and I can pick up a few words because Azerbaijani is a form of Turkic languages like ours. I have never been there but, my friends who have visited the country tell me that, you can understand each other despite talking in different versions of Turkish. 

Wishing everybody a nice and warm weekend. 

2023

I do not set goals for the new year. I know I never make the effort.

This year may be an interesting one due to something that may or may not happen. I am just not ready to share it yet. If that thing happens, I will be setting and sharing my goals. 

Today, I was busy with some part-time work matters. I had reports to write and send out and they are all done. Now, I can start the other tasks without those reports hanging over my head.

We haven't seen any snow yet and I am worried about that. The water levels are down in dams that supply Istanbul. I do not like to have water problems in the summer. This year I will hopefully be home in July and August when it is really hot in the coastal cities. 

Uncle will be out with his friends tonight. I will put together a salad and an eggplant dish from the freezer for myself for dinner.

I am thinking of making a French Onion Soup these days. I want uncle to be home for dinner too so, we'll see what his plans are. He and two of his High School buddies are like brothers so, they want to spend as much time with him as possible.

It is a dark and sleepy day. Just had my coffee but, can barely keep my eyes open. I better go and hang the laundry and try to wake myself up.

Have a nice hump day!