It's exactly one year ago today that I received my last full-time salary cheque and joined the lotus eaters. As a self-confessed workaholic I was apprehensive about joining the non-employed. I knew my husband would be fine as he's always viewed work as a tiresome chore to be negotiated on the way to a tennis match, but could I ditch my annoying Protestant work ethic and embrace the freedom? I promised myself that I wouldn't consider any permanent job offers for at least a year, ( I did - wavered a bit and then came to my senses and refused) and for the first time in 30 years, just do things for gratification rather than remuneration. Was it a success? Absolutely. Can I pull it off for a second year? Hopefully. One of the bonuses of my new lifestyle is my immersion in blogging. I had no idea what a blog was 18 months ago and then, while googling "importing household goods" to Turkey, I stumbled upon Jack Scott's Perking the Pansies, starting reading and was hooked. That such comic erudition was served up on a daily basis was a joyous discovery and I still read every post. When I decided to dip my toe in the blogosphere, Jack kindly came to our building site of a house and helped me sort my links from my labels. Jack's page directed me to other Turkish sites. Ayak's Turkish Delight caught my eye as we seemed to have plenty in common. Ayak's unwavering tolerance of the illogical and absurd occurrences in her village made me know I'd like her before we met. It's thanks to Ayak's speedy Facebook posting that we have our lovely woofer, Jake, who is chewing his bone beside me. As a devourer of books, I was looking forward to giving myself up to my kindle. This hasn't happened as I spend most of my reading time keeping up with the weekly output of my favourite bloggers. Alan of Archers of Okcular is the person I'd like to accompany on a long walk as his encyclopaedic knowledge of flora and fauna is mind blowing. Mike and Jolie of Senior dogs nudge my social conscience and keep me up to date with the political situation in Turkey. Joy at My Turkish Joys, Özlem's Turkish Table and Claudia at A seasonal cook in Turkey spark the inspiration in the BtoB kitchen. Julia and Barry's site Turkey's for life, Hilary and Ashley's Pul Biber and Natalie's Turkish Travel save me a fortune in travel expenses by taking me around this amazing country without having to leave my computer, while Istanbul Stranger's off-the-wall impressions of Istanbul and Adventures in Ankara remind me that I'm a country girl at heart. If anyone reading this is contemplating visiting Turkey I suggest you give all the above sites a good look over. You will learn more from the acquired wisdom of these aficionados than a 100 guide books.
This navel-gazing was inspired by Helen of The Venomous Bead who kindly put me on her list of blogs under this august green box. If you haven't dipped into her blog before, do so immediately as she is a natural raconteur with a flair for dialogue that puts most screen writers to shame. I haven't mentioned the non-Turkish blogs I follow but cast a glance at the side bar and I can promise you will enjoy them all.
Hello:
ReplyDeleteLike your husband, we always considered any work for payment to be something of a tiresome necessity and have, for many years now, completely embraced a life of utter idleness. Indeed, we consider ourselves to be two lazy tarts!
We are delighted that you have discovered the Blogosphere to be such a diverse, fascinating and interesting place providing, as it does, the opportunity to 'meet' so many very different people. And now you have given us yet more links!
I think you have to come up with another word - "Tart" does not do justice to your style.
DeleteI think the biggest pleasure I've had is the number of friends made through blogging. Some of whom (including you of course) I've met in person, but even the ones that we don't meet are still an important part of our lives in many different ways.
ReplyDeleteI also found it difficult to give up working when I moved here, and did a variety of jobs for a few years, until we moved to this village. Now I'm happy not working...and I think you are heading the same way.
We do have a great group of collaborators.
DeleteI didn't start blogging until 3 years after I retired for the second time, but being an avid reader never had any problem adjusting to idleness. :-) Like you I find my book-reading time has been sadly eaten away by blogging and reading blogs, but it's so much fun as well as horribly addictive. Congratulations on the award and I shall enjoy exploring the blogs you have nominated.
ReplyDeleteI can't really say I've retired as I'm still 13 years from that magic date. I've just stooped working full time. Trying to fit in a bit of freelance work to keep the wolf from the door.
DeleteI only started when I was home for a while after the fifth and final childlet.
ReplyDeleteNow I have resumed working outside home I fear my blog time will lapse and there will be less to write about. It's only been a year or so since I began blogging and I missed the birthday but I have made such wonderful, caring, kind friends...not counting the robocommenters I've been wrestling with lately!
Looking forward to more of your bliss in Turkey.
I'm amazed that you have time to do half the things you do. I'm in awe of your energy with what you've had to put up with over the last year. I hope you don't give up your blog writing.
DeleteGlad to hear you're settling into the life of freedom.
ReplyDeleteWe had no problems giving up working - maybe because we were both fed up with the stress work was causing us. We do seem to keep very busy, often feeling there is insufficient time to do everything we want.
I seem to get so little time to read, but three successive days up and down to Izmir finally allowed me to finish the book I was reading. I miss the reading time but not the commute that used to provide it!
It will be good to catch up in the flesh again this year. I know what you mean about not having enough time.
DeleteB to B, What a really thoughtful look back on your first year of retirement. We also didn't know what to expect but are really pleasantly surprised on how busy we stay. And you're so right - the blog is a constant thread in our weekly routine. To us, it keeps our minds active and thinking about what's going on around us all the time. But more than that, it's all the kindred spirits like you that we've met in the course of our blogging journey. We warmly hope that our adventure continues for a long time to come.
ReplyDeleteI hope we get to have a good chin-wag over a bottle of red in the near future. (I like the look of your summer escape to the islands)
DeleteFinding blogging has been a joy to me too B to B, and dropping into people's lives through this incredible portal is wonderful. I love reading your take on the world....and look forward to your next year of retirement. Jx
ReplyDeleteHi Janice - I'm so glad that you are back reading and writing blogs again. i also look forward to your next year in UK and France and wish you a speedy recovery.
DeleteI can echo all the above comments about how wonderful blogging is and what lovely people share their thoughts, ideas, interests, passion and observations through their blogs - so it's no wonder that many of them feel like real (though virtual) friends. And there are more kindred spirits out there than I had ever thought possible.
ReplyDeleteI am always delighted to find so many interesting people and I have loved reading your posts. I shall enjoy exploring a few others you mention here. Keep resisting, keep writing! Axxx
I'll try to keep resting. I feel guilty sometimes that I'm not back at the coal face. I'll probably end up going back to full time work just as I reach retirement age.
DeleteHey hi BtoB! I was just about to call it a day and then thought let me have a quick glance at my blogs - and what did I see! A lovely warm post mentioning all my own special blogs but including my own! Thank you - and I hope that one day soon I get to meet you too as a friend has invited us to Bodrum in April! I would love to meet up then if at all possible :). Ditto blogging is something amazing, our network is warm and wide, and just so much fun. Cxxxx Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThais is great news Claudia, I'm really looking forward to meeting up.
DeleteThank you for your kind words....much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteWithout blogging I would never have 'met' so many interesting, kind people who have pulled off my blinkers and shown me many new horizons.
The sheer power of the thing still amazes me.
Don't even think of working again...I need my fix from Bodrum.
Thank you Helen. I still think you should write a film/play.
DeleteI hope you manage to stay off the treadmill a while yet. Sorting out your links was a poor reward for your company and the slice of this and slice of that you kept offering me. Anyway, we were neighbours and that's what neighbours do for each other in Turkey. I'm glad the blog brought us together and now I see you're flogging my books on your sidebar. Is there any end to your support? Thank you. xx
ReplyDeleteYour house looks very sad without you - no bright towels flapping in the breeze every day. A large pipe has been put through the bedroom window so you did without a/c for no reason.
DeleteAs I have Brian Sewell's book on here, how could I not put yours on too.
I love te read your blog, you bring alive a little bit of Bodrum to the South of England. I will be back in a few weeks to check work in progress on our beautiful Gulet golden princess.
ReplyDeleteDear Golden2512, thank you for leaving a message, I wish more readers would as it's nice to get to know who is logging in. Your gulet project sounds interesting - please email me when you come to Bodrum and we can chat about sailing.
Delete. . this blogging lark is good fun, isn't it? Interesting characters with interesting takes (the reasons we give them time in the first place), virtual and, sometimes real, friends that we otherwise would never have known. So, my turn to thank you for being out there and interesting.
ReplyDeleteHere is someone that you and your followers might really enjoy, Trici Venola over at https://tricivenola.wordpress.com/
ps be a pleasure to take a walk with you some time - home or away!
It is good fun and I find bloggers are generally more informed that journalists. Thanks for the tip. We will get the walk in this spring - Julia has suggested some dog friendly hotels.
DeleteI think I now NEED to retire, because I'm having trouble fitting all this blogging and blog reading into the time between bouts of work!! (OK, it's fair to say I've been gradually weaning myself off work for some years now, but I still have some paid jobs!)
ReplyDeleteThis award brought me to your blog, which I'm delighted about, and now there are yet more new addresses I need to visit! Well deserved!
One good blog leads to another - that's why it's difficult to find time to work or read books.
DeleteWhat a lovely post, you made my day: ) So glad you started blogging and so glad we got to meet thru blogging :) my heartfelt thanks to you for the lovely mention, so kind of you. I just wish we could get to meet up one day- we need a one big bloggers union in Turkey:)!
ReplyDeletexxx Ozlem
I think we should think about a bloggers conference.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the lovely mention - I was wondering what your sentence was going to say when you were coming to the mention. :) A day will come where we'll all meet in person and until then, gotta love the internet. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Julia for all the fantastic info you publish about Fethiye.
ReplyDelete