Ahhhh, Home sweet Urfa!

Today we fly to Sanliurfa (otherwise known as Urfa).  Most people will refer to it as Urfa, there's even a kabob known as the Urfa Kabob.  We are staying in an Airbnb of sorts, it's an independent place though, not a personal home with other people.  Since I am traveling with a guy, I needed two rooms, so there is absolute privacy.  It just makes more sense to rent a house of sorts than a couple hotel rooms.  I will say there's not a lot of choices in Urfa, hotels and Airbnb is expensive compared to other places in Turkiye.  The place is lovely though, in the "old district" which is beautiful and quiet!  This place will be home sweet home for two weeks!

Coolest

Having so much fun and getting ready for the trip tomorrow! Sanliurfa is a medium sized city at just over a half million people, but it has amazing history and so many important biblical and ancient sites nearby.  I can't wait to see them.  I am spending a week there with a dear friend, Merve and another week with a translator/helper who is also becoming a good friend, Nakip (who I sometimes refer to as my son, lol). Typically a city this small wouldn't merit such a long stay but I want to take it nice and slow and just enjoy each day, not in a rush to see anything.

A day in the life

 Happy Monday everyone. It's the start of week 4....This week is super exciting because I am traveling in Turkiye to a city in the southern border next to Syria called Sanliurfa.  I leave for Urfa on Wednesday.  There is so much incredible history there including what they think is currently point zero in mankind, Gobleki-Tepe.

Happy Father's Day

 Wishing all the Dad's in my life a very Happy Father's day today from me and John.  Best wishes and huge hugs all the way from Istanbul. (well, right now I am in Sanliurfa).

Guest Designer

 Happy Sunday everyone!  I hope you are ready for the new week.  I have some more wonderful work from the kids in Turkiye.  I just love how they put my name as Holi (how you would spell it in Turkish) and many of them actually spelled it correctly which is even more impressive.

FInd Joy in Today

Happy Friday everyone.  I know it just sounds weird to say Happy Friday.  On vacation I tend to forget the days of the week.  I only keep track of them because certain days of the week are neighborhood pazaars.  So if I want to go shopping for local things (like fruit, veggies, or maybe lace remnants), I need to know the day of the week and what Pazaar is happening that day.  A Pazaar is a temporary set up Bazaar that lasts only one afternoon or one day.

DH you are in my thoughts

Hey sweet dear, you are in my thoughts today. I hope you are having a wonderful day.  Huge hugs and kisses.  I wish I could have Turkiye and YOU at the same time.  Have a fun summer.  Kisees.

All my favorite

All my favorite chapters include you...except the ones where I'm on vacation in Istanbul.  LOL,  You know you are still my favorite dear.  Always thinking of you in my heart.  Love you.

 

Furever Friends

 One interesting thing about Istanbul, and some other Turkish cities is that there's dogs and cats that are "pets" of the city.  They are vaccinated and tagged and let go in the city.  Many of them are quite popular.  and are well beloved and taken care of.  People generally don't shoe them away, for example, you will see a cat up on a display of an expensive clothing store!  Now, in a food establishment, of course they are sent away (but sometimes fed nearby).  You will see them everywhere, even in Mosques and Museums.  No one bother's them and lots of people love and pet them.

Happy Birthday

Here's a card I made from My Aunt Lisa's Birthday today. I hope she has a very special day.  Hug and Best wishes for your day.

Guest Designer

Sharing more wonderful art from the kids in school in Turkiye.  Did you know that in Turkiye that teacher starts at kinder and get a class of kids and then kids and teach move together through the grades. The teacher will always have the same class, kinder through 5th grade.  I know happens sometimes in the USA, but rarely, I wonder which other countries do that.  I know I had seen it before.  In my school in the USA teachers generally get to pick which grade they teach (in elementary school, though on occasion they do get moved due to the influx of students in a certain grade).

Anyways, here's some cute art from the kiddos:

Good Luck!

 Happy Saturday.  I hope you are having a nice weekend. Today makes it just over 2 weeks now with about a month and half left.  Next week in Turkiye is a major Islamic Holiday, so much will be closed and the trams and such may be free, so they will be SO SO SO crowded, it will be best to avoid at all cost.  I am one of those people who look at a full, and I don't mean, no seat, I mean, FULL to the point where you can not physically cram another body inside and think, hmmm, i'll wait.  Yea, you could be waiting for a LONG LONG time.  It's crazy.  Istanbul is 20 million people, most of whom use the trains.

Brighten your day!

 Happy 3rd Monday in Istanbul. WOW, doesn't that sound weird.  I have been here a couple weeks and already it's the third Monday.  How cool is that?  here's a cute little card to brighten your day!  Hugs all.

Happy Birthday

 Happy Birthday Cuz.  I hope you have a very special day today.  Big wishes to you from Turkiye.  Man, are we getting old or what?  I can't believe it.  Have a great celebration this year. I am sure Ayana will do something special for you.  Hugs

For the DH

Here's a card that I thought would give my Dear Hubby a smile today.  He's the one who LOVES biscuits and gravy.  a lot!  I do like a good biscuit but not really a gravy fan.  But I will tell him that I love him MORE than Biscuits.  Or certainly more than Biscuits and Gravy.

Hugs Dear

 

Sunshine and Happy Days

 Happy Tuesday everyone! what's everyone doing this summer?  I guess technically it's not summer yet.  When does summer start?  in Texas it sure feels like summer, though I am often not there for half of it, I am there for the hotter half--August and September.

Have a great one

 WOW, Monday number 2, I guess it's almost 2 and a half weeks, but not quite.  Who would have thought time would go so fast. I am so relaxed and enjoying this time. I typically wake up, listen to music, prepare for the day (there's no point in going out very early, nothing is open), leave the house, take the train, stop a my favorite place for juice or coffee, maybe a snack; Exchange cash and go shopping for lace, walk around and relax with some cold water.  Drop by and chat with friends or enjoy a snack in the afternoon.  Grab the train back home and take a little rest.  Get up and go to grab dinner somewhere.  Take a nice long walk afterwards and maybe stop for tea or coffee.  Ahhh, what a perfect day.

Happy Birthday Dad

 Happy Birthday Dad!  I hope you have a special day today!  Huge hugs from Turkiye. Hope the grandkids come to visit you.  This cute card come from a wonderful kit by Pink and Main.

Guest Designer

Now that I am in Turkiye, I thought I would share this card as my guest designer.  This card comes from an artist in Austin, TX, Gretagoo.com  I just love her works, both media and in jewelry!

Summer Sun

Time for the wonderful (?) summer sun in Istanbul.  I guess that is very relative.  It's about 10 to as much as 20 degrees cooler there than it is in my home of Austin, TX.  But, last summer there were record heat days in Istanbul over 100-degree F, that's of course with no Air Conditioning, which most people in America, especially south Texas, can't believe.  Even the place I stay, has no air.  At best there's a fan (and if not, I go buy one for the summer).

 

Love you Dear

 Thinking of you LOTS sweetheart.  You know I miss you so, probably because I text you all the time and it makes you crazy.  Ha!  have a wonderful day.  Love you.

Thinking of you

 Good Morning all! I hope this day finds you happy and healthy. I am delighted to be relaxing in Turkiye and having a sweet vacation so far. I can't believe that it's almost been a week.  WOW.  I guess most people only get a week vacation. I am truly blessed.  While here in Turkiye I will get to take a vacation of sorts and go from Istanbul to a city called Sanliurfa, "City of Prophets"  it is where Abraham was born as well as the prophet Job and some other biblical occurrences happened.

A note of thanks

 Happy Tuesday everyone.  As more and more time goes I am getting acclimated to the time here in Turkiye.  I didn't make a huge list of things to do, so for now I am visiting a lot of friends that I haven't seen in a year.  that's so nice to see them.  Many I brought goodies for from the USA.

Grande Hugs

 Happy Monday!  WOO HOO, first Monday in Istanbul.  what should I do, hmmmm, I know, SHOP for lace, given that it is Monday, I am guessing that I have already gone shopping on Friday and Saturday, lol.  Just guessing.  I will be updating some of my blog posts with current info, but some I am pre-writing because I know time will be critical when I am there.  I will say though that I do check my blog daily and read your comments :)

Huge hugs everyone!

Guest Designer Kids in Turkiye

 Here's more of the wonderful kids work in my dear friend Dilek's class.  I hope to see them soon on this trip as their school year hasn't ended quite yet.  I bought them some new crafty things that they can make, I hope to take fun photos of the items they make to share with you