Where do I begin?

My previous week was interesting with ups and downs.

 

Monday just as we were finishing our breakfast on the veranda (comes from early 18th century: from Hindi varaṇḍā, from Portuguese varanda ‘railing, balustrade’), there was a flash, I looked at Jim and he returned my look and asked ‘that was lightening wasn’t it? ‘Err yes, think so.’ Showers (and they can be very brief showers) had been forecast for a few days, as had thunder. The thunder followed, resounding and reverberating round the mountains at the sides of the valley in which Dalyan and the River Dalyan are located (Dalyan by the way means ‘fish farm’). And then ‘down came the rain, the thunder and lightning’ as the song by Mitch Murray says. First Jim had to move inwards on the veranda, then we moved indoors. The rain, it rained all day. I made jam, apricot jam from apricots on a tree in a neighbouring garden. They are a little tart as the ‘furniture man’ who apparently as most people here has at least two strings to his bow, says, the tree needs feeding (seemingly he owns pomegranate and lemon orchards). I could have made more lemon marmalade but the apricots needed using up. This is the about the fourth lot of apricot jam (the first I over boiled). I now have quince, mulberry and apricot jam, plus lemon marmalade and I made a small batch of kiwi jam in the winter.

Tuesday everything was dry until about 2 pm then it thundered again and rained. It rained

Cacti after the rain

non-stop. Tuesday morning I finally managed to do some acrylic painting. I have rainbow fish awaiting eyes that will be made from Nazar beads The Nazar is the evil eye and the beads ward off evil. Every home in Turkey should have at least one, large Nazar. Our apartment has several and two are built into the barbecue structure outside. We were going to barbecue at the beginning of last week, I had bought charcoal (wood a bit too adventurous for me, to start and currently I don’t know where I would get it from). We have not yet used the barbecue.

Wednesday should have been my very socially distanced Turkish lesson but it was postponed til the next day. I painted some more. This time three flags, Germany, Turkey and Scotland. I then ran out of things to paint on.

I also baked oat and raisin cookies. They were too nice.

The following day apart from my Turkish lesson, I visited one of the upstairs apartments to check all was ok there and briefly enjoyed the view across the pomegranate trees. Just an

elevated view of here really, and beautiful. I think I baked bread Thursday and Friday a cake, as someone said to me yesterday, about herself, rocking my inner Laura Ingalls Wilder, ha ha.

Friday was starting well then a conversation was had with me on the trials and tribulations of this ‘shielding lark’. It transpired ‘it’s alright for us (me and Jim) as we have health issues, so we don’t mind’ I pointed out politely that Jim has walking difficulties and is a little older than many people, but hale and hearty. And I might have a chronic illness, but chronic means it’s long term, it won’t kill me and is highly unlikely (after copious research and speaking to my consultant in Aberdeen) to kill me off. That was met with a steely glare and then we were interrupted. But, you know perhaps sometimes these things stick and I managed to get myself irritated by that comment.

However it brought this to my mind –

We are what we concentrate on, we are and/or we get what we concentrate on- this quote comes from my first book [1] 'I spent a large part of my life concentrating on what I didn’t want - and that’s exactly what I got! Several times.’

There  are people in life who are seeking something, they’re never quite happy, they’re looking for something, they never quite finish things and they blame other people, other things, they are prevented from doing things by things which (they believe) are outside of their control.

Some people want to, but they can’t, they believe they are controlled by higher forces, limitations. They want someone to fix them. They ask; ‘What, I have to change?  I have to put some effort into this?’

There are others who push, push the others, push themselves and find it really hard to listen to others, to watch and observe, to learn from their mistakes and those of others.  They are often good are giving advice to others ‘If that were me I would learn from what so and so is doing’ – but they don’t apply advice to self. After all they can do it better.

And there are people who continue to practice life long and refine fundamental skills at every opportunity.  After all “Practice doesn’t make perfect.  Perfect practice makes perfect” Vince Lombardi. 

Therefore I chose a reframe (more on that next time), mine was one of my favorite songs ‘Pick yourself up, dust yourself down, and start all over again’ click here 

The problem is, or was and I forgot about this, many people see me as a positive person. I don’t see myself as that, I see myself as someone who likes to plan and carry out plans, who likes to be happy, who likes good things in life and who can find something to do instead of concentrating on what I don’t want. Plus I concentrate on what I have and how I make the best of that.

Yesterday, Sunday was Older Peoples going out for 6 hours day and this time we spent almost all of it out of the apartment, off the premises and got back in just before 8pm, curfew time.  We, well I shopped, more things to paint and I never knew going into a supermarket could be seen as a treat. Jim enjoys watching people going past and waits patiently on this trike that carries the shopping back. We visited the storks’ nests. One it seems the birds have flown, the other, well maybe next week they will have gone too, I managed to take some pictures at that nest . This is a feat, the nests are on top of very long poles, looking up is sometimes (especially in 31 degrees C) a challenge for me, I can at times lose my balance, but I had success in staying upright yesterday.

 

We came home briefly, changed and then, we went out for a meal. In Dalyan, I have mentioned before, a large part of the economy is based on the tourist trade and in the winter (yes I know it’s almost summer. But for many people it might as well be winter workwise here). In the winter or slower months a large part of the restaurant trade relies on those foreign residents over 65 years old. To a certain extent local councils and the Jandarma (local police) are allowed to legislate for their community and here we were told (and don’t broadcast this) we were allowed to eat out. Jim and I had an absolutely perfect meal. It deserves its own blog later. Fine Dining at its best and I’ve eaten in some places in the UK and abroad that could not better that meal.

Enjoy today, count your blessings, or look at what you have instead of what you don’t have. And take from this current situation the fact that every moment you have something good in your life that’s a moment to treasure.

Go well, stay safe.

 

I’d love to hear from you, let me know what’s good about your lie currently, especially what you might have taken for granted in the past.

 

 

 

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[1] Finding the Relationship you Deserve, first published in 2007, but the publisher then wasn’t technology savvy, so now it’s self-published on Amazon. The book is about the relationship with yourself first, everything else comes about as a result of the first.