Turkish Tearoom? Turkish Bath? Anyway, a Turkish delight awaits...

[MaryBS]

Picture the scene...

From the edge of every terrace and every step hang brilliantly white stalactites, and you can hear the joyful splashing of the waters of the hot springs as they cascade down over slopes where their flow is impeded only by clumps of oleanders.

Nearby is an oasis of refreshments, in our Pamukkale residence, air conditioned and with white washed generously proportioned rooms, with Mellors at the ready, to offer Turkish Massage to anyone who wishes.

The NMBs are in their element, whereas the bishops seem to have found their speedoes again.

Priest's hole is at the back, in a quiet shaded area, stocked with What Car magazines, Turkish rugs and Turkish delight

Good luck with scary surgeon Amber!

MT - I meant to ask you about 3 pages back whether you had had swimming lessons for MC and at what age? We are looking forward to swimming again with Small Bean when we go on holiday next month but I can't decide whether to enrol him in 'proper' lessons or wait a year.

(I am in total awe of your musical talents - my mother took my violin off me after a year of 'playing' as I was so dreadful )

I started with Ds when he was 10 months - we did Water Babies - was wonderful - and he could pretty much swim unaided before he was 4. Then we stopped lessons - and didn't get to a pool very much - and he lost a fair amount of it - did quite well last summer - and has been swimming at his sports camp most days so has done really well this summer.

music - - its just something that I 'did' - took up piano when I was 6 - was never going to be a concert pianist. Took up violin when I was 10 - did grade 5 in about 18 months - so much easier than the piano for me!

Zero to grade 5 in 18 months? Eek! That is obviously a huge musical talent! How many lessons did you have every week?

::Thinks bleakly about Girl's lack of violin practice::

I had a lesson a week. But I could already read music because of the piano playing - and it just sort of clicked. Playing the violin or the viola - it feels part of me - I'm in control, getting it to 'sing' with me. Unlike the piano which is an alien thing that I poke in hope.

sigh surgeon has delayed meeting until Thurs.
?

Bows down to MT's violin skills. I took piano lessons for 5-6 years (no tests or grades or anything) -- can still read music and pluck a tune but that's about it.

Boo the surgeon, amber.

Took Toddler to get something to eat after errands this afternoon. Watched in awe as woman with two children (I'd guess 6 & 8 if pushed) ignored the kids, talked loudly on her mobile, ignored the waitress then asked her phone call to "hold just a sec" and proceed to tell the children off because they didn't say "thank you" to the server (they had, I heard, but she didn't cuz she was on the phone).

MrScout's home tomorrow -- YAY!

- yes please!

Mr Bean out for dinner, Small Bean asleep, a huge pile of jobs to do including tidying and washing, but actually I might just make some tea and watch TV. Is that really bad?

Boo to surgeon...

Hurray for Mr Scout coming home...

at picture of MT "poking the piano"

I had missed that MrScout was away, Scout. Any more news about your trip back home?

Oh drat, Amber. Here is Mellors to pour you some , rub your feet and (he's so good at multitasking) read you some choice articles from Land Rover and HaHa Maintenance Monthly.

bean, sit for 20 minutes with your tea and tv. I am. Well, not tea, but cinnamon toffee ice cream. Then I'll crack on with jobs again.

There's still kicking going on upstairs but not nearly as much/as loud as the last few days.

Well, MrScout left last Monday to start the project in the US. He's home tomorrow and we leave on Thursday for our annual trip to Devon. He'll be heading back to the US sometime in September but as of yesterday don't know when yet -- he's waiting for the US government to approve his visa, etc. When it comes through we'll figure out when we're going. It does sound like we're going but we can't plan until his visa comes through.

I've gotten out of Guides this term (even if we don't go to the US I can't keep TS out until after 9 p.m. in that environment). Not sure people are happy with me but tough. Looking forward to the break.

Earthquake at home and hurricane heading for my best friend (and possibly MrScout but he's getting out before projected landfall) -- the East Coast is a mess right now.

Good evening everyone! Evening for you, anyway. Lunchtime here. Nevertheless, I'd like to offer a glass of to all and sundry.

Having a paperwork afternoon. I hate paperwork. So I'm entertaining myself with listening to an audiobook at the same time.

How's everyone?

Hello missus!

Hello Missus? Hello Missus? Which one of us is the Cockney here?!

welcome back Maud!

Anyone for some damson gin? Last year's... fairly well steeped by now....

Oooo, Me, Me!

Oh, wait, not me.

Have been feeling very American lately. There seems to be another wave when people give me funny looks when out and about in town and talk (to either Toddler or shop people or whoever). It doesn't happen (as much) if we go to YOUT.

Someone tell me to start on chores again or I'll sit here all night.

Forget the chores, Scout. Let's drink a bucket ladylike quantity of Mistle's damson gin.

I guess YOUT is so cosmopolitan - wot wiv the visiting academics and such - that your furrinness doesn't get noticed so much.

Scout, don't start chores. Relax. That's what evenings are for. [bad influence emoticon] [also liar emoticon as I don't do chores but I've been doing marketing for my company this evening]

JM hello!

MT I've never had damson gin...pour me a glass!

So far my mom is safe from Irene although will pass her house at some point. It will be out in the Atlantic, hopefully. Dad is totally safe as he is on the Gulft Coast. One of my best friends in the US is named Irene. She has apologized to the East Coast.

Haven't spoken to anyone who felt the earthquake.

Oh feck, Amber. ?

Busy day tomorrow. I should head to bed...

Cheers, Mistle!

I have lots of packing to do.

Unfortunately a lot of Americans in YOUT, especially around Christmas, make me cringe with their Americanness. Then again my Girl Scout friend, the one that died this spring (God bless her soul) made me cringe in London with her Americanness. (You know the type -- loud, complaining, comparing everything to home and saying things here aren't as good/aren't right/aren't normal/whatever.)

Tee, my FB wall is alight with friends and family talking about what they felt and didn't feel about the quake. My uncle in California is laughing at the Philadelphians (keeping in mind he was born/raised there). I hope your family continues to miss Irene.

Good evening, all. I have a question for owners of older dc. I have German friends (sadly recently mislaid) and remember their stories of the special celebrations of the first day of school. I think that some form of celebration should occur especially as it might stop me crying too much. What have others done on the very first day? (Might ask in 'primary education' too.)

When I started school (Grade 1 or "erste Klasse") in Germany, this was 1975, every child got this huge thing filled with candy and toys etc. It was called a Zuckertuete. Picture here.

My mother and I took mc to the chineese state circus during his first week at school (friday afternoon) as a treat.

Yes, that is exactly what I was thinking of, JM. I am trying to think how I could recreate the specialness here, where it is not celebrated.