Playing Catch Up

About a week ago I promised pictures form the day I hosted tea club. Well, life got in the way. Sorry! Here are some pictures of my sweet friends. Unfortunately "Crazy Head" was not there. Maybe next time.


Nihal, the Sisters, and Dilek (my very first friend here)


Menekşe, Dilek, the Sisters, me, and Lucy. With the exception of Nihal and me, all of these women are usually covered (wear headscarves). But, they remove them when they are inside with just women. Once they get their scarves on and the trench coat-style thing they wear for modesty they look totally different. Sometimes when I am out and about, I do not recognize women that I (should) know! Whoops!


This is "the Sisters' " grandmother. I call her Yoda-ette. She is so cute and wrinkled and fragile. She loves to talk to me, and I can't hardly understand a word she says!


Fatma and Osman


İlaydah (Nihal's daughter), Lucy, Jelen, and Osman


This is my friend Nihal. She was wearing normal clothes, but was about to do her namaz (prayers) in my foyer, so she slipped on this skirt over her jeans and a headscarf over her head. Lucy was watching her, and then imitating her. I did not know what to do. I didn't want to disrupt Nihal's prayers by snatching Lucy up from beside her (as they were kneeling prostrate on the floor together). So, I just let it go. Nihal has a little girl, hopefully she is used to this sort of thing!


We are about to start a week long holiday. It is the sacrifice holiday- when they slaughter the animals. I wrote about it here and here. So, Hopefully I can use that time to get caught up on my blog. I have lots of pictures and stories I want to tell you!