The other day, when I was looking for something on my phone, I found photos from last year’s Turkey vacation. I was there a year ago right around this time with no idea what the next year had in store for the world.

As it usually happens, I spent the next hour looking at 800 + photos I took during my trip. I meant to share them after I came back but life happened and I never got around to publishing them on the blog. 

A table set up by the sea with flowers on the side.

Now looking back, I feel like I took it all for granted. I had no idea how lucky I was. The last 5 months of life taught me a big lesson. Life is fragile. There is no guarantee that plans will pan out. Universe doesn’t owe us anything.

This morning I saw someone call this time, The Great Pause. 

How true! We all got a time out. And it is not over yet.

The struggle is real and as it is with everyone I am struggling with the new norms of life. We are at home all summer long and there are a few big decisions ahead of us. I will share them as things happen but for now I’ll continue with my usual format with a few of my favorite Turkey photos sprinkled throughout the post.

What is working?

  • Site switch: If you have been a regular reader of Foolproof Living you probably recognize that things are looking different on the blog. I have been working on this design for over 6 months right now. It finally happened and I feel like the weight of the world is off my shoulders.
  • Zoom/Skype/Facetime meetings with friends and family: In the new norms of life, I am finding a lot of comfort in technology and keeping in touch with my family through online gatherings. Can you imagine how much harder it would be if we didn’t have the ability to talk to each other face to face?
  • The abundance of summer produce in Vermont: While I spent most of my time working on the new design, I made sure to take a few hours from work to visit our local farmer’s market. When it comes to fresh food, this time of the year, is truly amazing in Vermont. I have been so fortunate to live in so many places in my life but I have never seen this kind of abundance anywhere else. Now that the redesign project is almost over, I will get back to publishing recipes and share some of this abundance with you in August.
Turkish coffee and chocolate served with water on a silver tray

What is not working?

  • Site switch: I know that I listed this exact thing up in the what is working section. But truth be told, the switch and everything that happened after that has been an exercise in frustration. I thought I was prepared for it but a lot of things happened outside my control. I cannot begin to tell you how much work it is to go over seven years’ worth of content and organize them to fit the new look.
    As it is with every difficult situation, it was a big learning experience. There is still more work to do so if you see things out of place please know that I am working on them.
  • No vacation this year: We have always taken some time off during July or August. This was either taking a few days off to pay a quick visit to New York City or take a full vacation to places like San Miguel de Allende, Anguilla, or Santa Fe. However this year, with all that is going on, we are staying put. I wish this was not the case because I feel like we need a getaway more than ever. 
  • Femicide in Turkey and all over the world: If you haven’t heard, a young Turkish woman was beaten, strangled, and then burned by his ex (married with two children) boyfriend in Turkey this month. This horrific crime brought up the importance of the Istanbul Convention, a human rights treaty of the Council of Europe against violence against women and domestic violence which was opened for signature on 11 May 2011, in Istanbul, Turkey. Sadly, the conservative Turkish Government (and media) is now trying to alter the message, what it stands for, and trying to get out of the Istanbul convention.
    It is beyond belief that, in this day and age, there is still a discussion around violence against women and that it is somehow okay to label these horrific crimes as honor killings and have sympathy towards the people who commit these crimes.

Favorite Books

Bob Iger’s – The Ride of A Lifetime (affiliate link): If you are not familiar with Bob Iger, he is the CEO of Disney for the last 15+ years. His memoir is about how he got there at a fairly young age of 54 and how he shaped Disney’s future in a technologically driven entertainment scene. As you read through the book, you get a closer look at how life is when you are so high up. It is packed with leadership advice and compelling stories only someone at that level can tell.

A table set up by the sea.

My Favorite Quote of the Month

I read the following in Oprah’s, What I Know For Sure column in the latest issue of her magazine. It is a poem written by Haroon Rashid.

We fell asleep in one world and woke up in another.
Suddenly Disney is out of magic, Paris is no longer romantic, New York doesn’t stand up anymore, the Chinese wall is no longer a fortress, and Mecca is empty.
Hugs and kisses suddenly became weapons, and not visiting parents and friends become an act of love.
Suddenly you realize that power, beauty, and money are worthless, and can’t get you the oxygen you are fighting for.
The world continues its life and it is beautiful. It only puts humans in cages. I think it is sending us a message:
“You are not necessary. The air, earth, water, and sky without you are fine. When you come back, remember that you are my guests. Not my masters.

Citation: Haroon Rashid

As we all live through this “Great Pause”, I wish you a healthy and safe August wherever you are in the world. 

Until next month.

Aysegul

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About Aysegul Sanford

Hello Friend! I'm Aysegul but you can call me โ€œIce." Iโ€™m the cook/recipe-tester/photographer behind this site.

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