More proscrastination.

Yesterday I packed a case for my daughter. She's spending the week in Cappadocia with her class. It was easy: the teacher had made a list! I'd shopped during the week to make sure she had everything she needed, plus a few extras like a Hello Kitty wallet to put her pocket money in. We wrote her initials on all her clothes (even the socks!) with pens that don't wash off. (Like I'm ever going to sew labels. Right.) We put everything in our smallest case and that was it!

She's coming back friday night and sunday morning we're all flying to Izmir to meet up with Marianne and co, so we'll have a tight deadline for the packing! But what it means, is that I don't have to worry about it till then. Other reasons why I don't have to worry: we're only going down to Izmir for a few days, not travelling around Britain and France for six weeks. We're flying, and taking cabs, instead of our usual night train plus three buses. So yeah, it doesn't matter how many cases we have, and we only need beach stuff. Easy!

So here's what I did. Instead of sitting here worrying about cases, like I was supposed to because I suggested we do as much to my sister,  I went for a walk with Max.


It had rained heavily in the morning and the sky looked like that:

But the sun came out and it was warm (hot) so we decided to risk it . On the way, we checked out the few spring flowers that were left. The poppies are starting to lose their colour, and they were all closed up after the rain.

                             

The roses, on the other hand, were all over the place. Here they bloom till december, but after a heavy rain storm, they look frankly a bit disreputable...

Of course, we wouldn't think of going for a walk without eating half of what we see. First thing we went for were the black mulberries. Normally I don't like them much, they're too sickly sweet for me. But these were just right. It was a very dense bush and the berries were hiding behind the leaves. The very ripe ones had fallen on the floor and looked like so many dead insects so black were they. 

 

The thing with mulberries is that they really stain. So within seconds our hands and mouths were red. Then Max decided to wipe his hands on my t-shirt ...

While we were at it, we thought we'd pick a few cherries! They looked a bit high...

Fortunately, a friend walked past with an old fashioned umbrella, and we were able to knock down a handful!

All in all it was a successful walk. Of course we stopped by the library for tea because that's what we do. Then a quick trip to the playground.

As soon as we got to the supermarket, a tremendous hailstorm broke out. The noise was pretty amazing so I called my husband to find out whether it was the end of the world (I like to be informed, I'm that kind of woman).

He said no so we carried on with our weekly shopping.

And I only forgot three things! One of them we really couldn't do without, so when I realised my mistake at the check out, I sent Max to get them. Five minutes later, I started to wonder whether sending your autistic son alone in a crowded supermarket is such a good idea after all. But just as I was starting to worry he came back, carrying the goods, and a small pot of ice cream that he'd begged off the woman at the test stand! Autistic or not, my son is a very capable shopper.

Here, I saw those on our walk:

It's lime (tilleul) and I need to go back to pick some. Can't believe I hadn't noticed it before! In France we have it as a tisane, an infusion. Here in Turkey it's a decoction. You take a handful of the dried leaves, a handful of dried chamomile flowers, and a stick of cinammon (or the cheaper, coarser alternative you get in Turkey - no idea what it's called though!). Bang it all in a metal teapot filled with water. Put the teapot on the stove top. Bring to the boil. Leave it awhile till it smells nice. Then serve. It should be reddish brown.

It's lovely.

And it's supposed to have all sorts of curative properties for colds, warts, infertility - you name it some one will say it cures it!

No, seriously, it's a nice drink, try it!
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