Phillip and Rebecca Mefford

“The Guest of Honor” Nasrettin Hoca entered a formal reception area and seated himself at the foremost elegant chair. The Chief of the Guard approached and said: "Sir, those places are reserved for guests of honor." "Oh, I am more than a mere guest," replied Nasrettin confidently. "Oh, so are you a diplomat?" "Far more than that!" "Really? So you are a minister, perhaps?" "No, bigger than that too." "Oho! So you must be the King himself, sir," said the Chief sarcastically. "Higher than that!" "What?! Are you higher than the King?! Nobody is higher than the King in this village!" "Now you have it. I am nobody!" said Nasrettin. Adapted from http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Sufism/Nasrudin

Age : Ten Months Quotes : Dear Lincoln…When I see you next your going to be walking. This is part of a note that Lincoln’s grandpa wrote to him. Lines like that really bring home the biggest sacrifice of living overseas: being far from family, knowing that grandpa and grandma are missing out on the little moments that fill every day of Lincoln’s life. Height / Weight : We don’t have the measurements this month, but according to all his Turkish aunties, he needs to be “fattened up.” Eating : Lincoln can eat almost anything, but especially loves gnawing on bread and fruits. He is a champ at feeding himself finger foods, even if it is quite messy. Sleeping : Two naps a day, usually in the stroller, and sleeping up to nine hours straight at night!!!! Skills : Real crawling; Eating fruit off the core (under supervision, of course); Ambling from one end of the coffee table to the other after pulling himself up; Learning (we hope) hayır , “no.”

Eğirdir Gölü Lake Eğirdir We have recently learned a new expression: ferahlık duymak . If you look ferahlık up in the dictionary you will find a few flat words including spaciousness, airiness, contentment, happiness, relief. In truth, these translations fail to inspire the real meaning. If we understand right, it means the swell of emotion, the liberation from clenching internal anxiety, the broad beautiful peacefulness that alight a person when they see tranquil waters reflecting the day’s last rays of sun. It means a profound sigh of contentment, the suggestion of a smile in one’s eyes. This is how we felt when visiting Eğirdir Gölü, Turkey’s second largest freshwater lake, and possibly one of the most beautiful places on earth. One meandering hour east of Isparta and southwest of the ancient ruins of Pisidian Antioch, Lake Eğirdir has been a preferred stop for travelers since the Babylonian traders of the 5th Century BC. When we visited we were once and again amazed by the exqui

İyi Yolculuklar Good Travels! We have recently had the opportunity to take a work-related trip within Turkey, and find ourselves purposefully winding our way back to İstanbul via the scenic route. While many of the cities, towns, and villages we pass through are familiar with foreigners because of the ever expanding tourism industry we are surprised to hear that few places have had foreigners settle in. Of course large cities like İstanbul and Ankara become easy and convenient hubs for ex-pats, but outside of them there are numerous fascinating, livable, and shall we say, less crowded places to live. It makes us wonder… 1. What would it be like to live in Turkey outside of İstanbul? Would we miss the ease of air travel, public transportation, clear İstanbul accent, English education opportunities for our children, greater expatriate community and imported foreign goods? 2. Are these places foreigner friendly? How much are newcomers expected to assimilate to the local culture? How mu

Auntie Ayşe’s Cookbook Bulgur Pilavı Cooked Bulgur Description : Bulgur is a whole grain copiously used in Turkish cuisine. It can accompany many entrées, adding color, complementary flavors, and more nutrition than regular rice. Ingredients : 1 C coarse bulgur 6 Tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp tomato paste 1 onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, diced 2 tomatoes, diced ½ bunch green onions, chopped ½ bunch parsley, chopped 1 tsp dried mint ½ tsp pul biber, pepper flakes (also known as aleppo pepper) or substitue a smaller amount of the more spicy crushed red pepper ½ black pepper Salt, to taste 2 C water Directions : In a medium sized pot heat the oil and sauté onions, garlic and tomato until tender. Over high heat add the tomato paste and uncooked bulgur, stir for a minute. Add water, mint, pepper flakes, black pepper and salt. When the water begins to boil reduce to low heat and cover. While stirring occasionally allow bulgur to simmer 10-15 minutes until the water is absorbed and the bulgur is tend