I'm home

Hi guys,

I haven’t posted anything here since 2024. If we’re still able to connect through this post, it means you’re close friends of this blog — and of me. Thank you for being here.

There’s so much to catch up on. So many changes. So many new things…

During this time, I published a book based on the notes I kept, titled “Yonca’s Diary.” A second one is on the way.

While searching for feelings that would motivate me, I found myself browsing this blog again. The warmth of this place is something else. That’s why I left it untouched for years — my corner of peace.

Life has a thousand faces. In 2024, during my breast cancer treatment, as I mention in the book, the rug was pulled out from under my feet and life turned upside down. I was one of the lucky ones — I came through this process with a positive outcome.

During that time, I continued to keep a diary. Writing became my refuge. Confiding in lines, talking to myself, confronting myself — it was a form of catharsis. The beautiful part is that this diary eventually became a book: 13. Kat (original title).

I’m sharing a few pictures from the time we were apart.

I had the chance to express my thoughts and feelings, share my experiences, and introduce my book at various events.

Even writing this short update warmed my heart. More to come. I hope you’ll continue reading these small updates here.

See you soon.

Below is the Turkish version of this update.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Merhaba arkadaşlar!

2024’ten beri burada hiçbir şey paylaşmadım. Eğer hâlâ bu gönderimle bu blogda buluşabiliyorsak, bu blogun ve benim yakın arkadaşım olduğunuz anlamına gelir. Burada olduğunuz için teşekkürler.

Yetişilecek çok şey var. Çok fazla değişiklik. Çok fazla “yenilik”… Öyle ki ben Yonca’nın Günlüğü adında derlediğim bu notlarımdan bir kitap çıkarttım. İkincisi de yolda. Beni motive edecek hisleri ararken bloguma bakmak, sayfalarında gezinmek istedim. Bu blogun sıcaklığı bambaşka. Bundan dolayıdır ki yıllardır aynı bıraktım. Benim huzur köşem.

Hayat bin bir yüz. 2024’te, meme kanseri teşhisiyle yürüdüğüm tedavi sürecinde, kitapta da dediğim gibi, ayağımın altından halı çekilmiş ve hayatım alt üst olmuştu. İyi bir sonuçla bu süreci geride bırakanlardan biriyim. Şanslıydım. Bu zaman boyunca, günlük tutmaya devam ettim. Bana en iyi gelen şey yazmaktı. Satırlarda dertleşmek, kendi kendimle konuşmak, yüzleşmek bir tür desarj oldu. Güzel olan yanı, bu günlüğün bir kitaba dönüşebilmesiydi: “13. Kat” (orijinal adıyla).

Sizle ayrı kaldığımız bu süreçten resimler paylaşıyorum.

Bu kısa güncellemeyi paylaşmak bile içimi ısıttı. Devamı gelecek. Umarım siz de bu sayfada bu kısa güncellemeleri okumaya devam edersiniz.

Görüşmek üzere…

Yolculuk aslında uzun değildi. Yorucuydu. Düşününce, beni en çok yoran şey neydi? Merdivenler yüksekti 🌸

#WritingAsHealing

#LifeTurnedIntoWords

#TrueStory

Feels Like Yesterday!

Oh, time incredibly flies!

 Wasn't it a few weeks ago that my son moved to the states? Ayayay... It has been almost two years since.

So, wasn't it a couple of weeks ago that I started YouTube videos? Almost a year! The good news is you're the pilot of "The Life Plane."

I'm sharing a few here with you guys. If you'd like to subscribe, you make my day. Hope, you join me! 

My motto is "collect moments not things" and all I tried to do is -enjoy every day and stay healthy. - Only key I found is "keeping myself busy and productive."

 

Wishing y'all a good year!

When you're decided you're not going to stay where you are, you already took the first step towards getting somewhere new.

Give Yourself Something 

to Look Forward To.

Life is short!

Hope to see you on my channel 🤗💕

On the Aegean Roads. Let's go!

Traveling has the ability to take you out of our daily routine and into new surroundings and experiences and this can reset your body and mind. Even planning a trip can have a fantastic effect on the body – it boosts happiness and feels rewarding. Not only does travel reduce stress but it expands the mind.

We have been visiting around so far. The peninsula we live is big. At an area of 171,000 hectares, it is one of the largest peninsulas in Turkey, and its ports, size, and location have given it a strategic role in Turkey's past. It is surrounded by the Aegean Sea. We have been on the Aegean Roads. 

Seat belts!!

The peninsula is divided into three parts: Urla in the east, Karaburun in the north, and Çeşme(chesh-meh) in the southwest.

You can see olive trees everywhere..In the parks, almost in every garden, sidewalks..

If you look for a stop point, resting under a tree, it will be probably an olive tree 😊 Peaceful🫒

 Olives and grapes..wine yards, local wines and so many local or traditional famous dishes.

Here is a Dolma & Sarma Combo, I made, green pepper and grape leaves. Dolma is one of the famous Turkish dishes and its variety is countless. Zucchini blosoom dolma(stuffed zucchini blossoms)is another one, well known here in Aegean. 

Sarma is a type of Dolmas, grape leaves rolled around a filling of grains like bulgur or rice with herbs, nuts, raisins and spices.You can use the same filling for bell peppers. 

Let's start with the olive oil museum.

Köstem Olive Oil Museum. 

It is a museum complex 

with a closed area of 5 thousand 650 square meters

 in a total area of 20 thousand square meters. 

With the technological infrastructure of the museum, you can listen to all the works on your mobile phone with voice and instructions. You can also join guided tours for free.

Do you want to see the root of a thousand year old olive tree?  

When I saw this root, I couldn't take my eyes off it.

 It's impressive. Made me feel like a time traveller.

In the museum, all olive oil crushing systems used in Anatolia so far are available as originals and replicas.

There are organic certified household products, olive oil soap, handmade products and of course olive oil in the museum store.

Vintages & Antiques 

When we saw the gramophone, 

couldn't passed through without hear it. 

Collections..familiar?

It's a well-known restaurant 

with a heavenly garden to eat anytime of the day.

Urla, Art Street. This pic is one my favorites.

Urla

 Denizaltı Restaurant was our breakfast stop. Turkish Breakfast Spread items are all homemade, natural ingredients, local organic foods. Tea, fresh whole grain bread, pastries, all kind of cheese, olive, tomatoes, cucumber, honey, jams, eggs, omelettes or boiled eggs, orange juice..

Turkish people love food and consider breakfast to be the most important meal of the day. 

Having tea in Turkish tea cups is 

a great experience if you haven't tried before.

Fish shaped cheese wood serving plate 

with nuts, dry fruits and fresh strawberries.

 Organic orange peel jam was delicious.  

Mulberry Jam with Kaymak;  dairy product (all natural) that comes from Central Asia. 

Black olives, and green olives. 

Börek is also another famous dish in Turkey. 

So many varieties. 

One of Urla's peaceful cafe & bistro's that make you feel at home. Kindly people, delicious food, well decorated garden in a rainy day. After the dentist, it was like heaven. Paşa böreği is absolutely 

worth to try. 

 

Purple Potato Latte was 

incredibly delicious. 

There is always a another new to try for the first time every year in this festival. Alaçati Herb & Edible Weed Festival, is held in April.

What is next? Let's curl to the north. 

Karaburun, Mordogan. 

An amazing view is waiting for us all the way there.  

North shore of Izmir Peninsula, Karaburun. Ancient name is Mimas. It's mentioned as Windy Mimas in Homer's famous work “Iliad and Odyssey”.  Its clean coves and beaches are like a natural aquarium. It is possible to see many coves, which are not accessible by land, only by boat tours.

Seafood restaurants on the shore. 

Mordogan 

Narcissus flower got it's name here. 

Echo and Narcissus is a myth from Ovid's Metamorphoses,

 a Roman mythological epic from the Augustan Age.

According to the legend; in the Goddess of flowers, Flora has a beautiful garden which has 78 types of purple flowers in it. The River Fairy Nana lives here/Mimas, today it's called Mor-dogan(Purple- rising) in this garden and she prays for a beautiful baby boy. One day, she gives birth to a beautiful boy and named him "Narcissus". Time passes, Narcissus grows; becomes a handsome boy.

He is a young man who impresses everyone around him with his handsomeness. He does not interested in any fairy, he likes to be alone in the forest. Back then, beautiful forest fairy, named Echo has fall in love with Narcissus.

Echo has an unrequited love for Narcissus. Narcissus does not reciprocate this love and walks away from Echo. In the face of this situation, Echo dies day by day by melting away. Her bones turn into rocks and his voice into "echoes" in these rocks. Narcissus was punished by the gods by saying, "He who does not love others should love himself".

One day in the forest, Narcissus sees his own reflection in the water of a spring and froze. He falls in love with his own reflection. He enjoys it first. In the time it also starts to hurt. 

 In the end, one day, he also dies because of sadness just like Echo.. and the "Narcissus" flower, which takes its name from the "philosophy of self-love", blooms in Narcissus' place.

Good catch sweetheart 😘

Let me leave here our YouTube link if you'd like to visit and see more. https://youtube.com/@yippiay

                   

  Stay Healthy 💚