Turkish Delight, On A Moonlit Night
I am currently in a delightful chapter in my life in which my children are grown and my husband and I are healthy and mobile, and so we have big plans to do a lot of travelling. It’s a big world out there and I want to see as much as I can for as long as I can; no one knows what the future will bring, and so I want to experience as much of other countries and cultures as I can.
Recently we have been talking about Türkiye, which I briefly visited as a teen on a school trip, and would love to see a lot more of. Unfortunately, the planning for this trip may be the undoing of my sanity. Every time I hear, see, or even think of the word “Istanbul,” I immediately follow it up in my head with was Constantinople, now it’s Istanbul not Constantinople, been a long time gone, Constantinople. And that’s the best case scenario; frequently I will go through the entire song in my head before I can rest. Why did Constantinople get the works? That’s nobody’s business but the Turrrrrkkkkksss. Istanbullll.
I don’t know what percentage of my brain is dedicated to song lyrics and other quotations, but it’s significant. I wonder what incredible things I could accomplish, were I able to clear my mind of Getting Jiggy With It, a song that went through my head incessantly when I was writing my very last exam in grad school. I got an A in that exam, so I guess it all worked out, but I’m not sure I’ve ever really recovered from scribbling down equations to the mental chorus of no love for the haters the haters mad cuz I got floor seats at the Lakers see me on the fifty yard line with the Raiders.
Speaking of which, one only need say to me here’s the situation before I mentally reply my parents went away on a week’s vacation.
Does everyone’s mind work this way, or is it just me? One of my favourite scents from Bath and Body Works is Butterfly, and every time, every single time I select that body lotion post-shower, I hum to myself See the dog and butterfly, up in the air he likes to fly.
Seriously, if I could rid my mind of song lyrics, random quotations from movies, Seinfeld, and the Simpsons, along with toxic diet culture, I would be a fresh book waiting to be filled. Staring at the blank page before you…
It’s Not Easy Being Green
We’ve had quite a bit of rain lately, which means that everything is greening up. It’s also likely the reason Kermit was hanging out on my door last week. In any case, it’s officially Garden Season, so prepare yourselves for an onslaught of Garden Updates for the next six months or so. I planted my first rows of kale and spinach on the weekend, the berry patch is all budding, and my husband and I went to the plant nursery. It is way, way too early to plant tender veggies like tomatoes and peppers, and yet I came home with exactly that.
Oh, and on the topic of green things, I have an update to my avocado woes. I bought a bag of avocados at Superstore, and, like a person completely beaten down by life, expected nothing out of them. Why did I buy them then? I don’t know. Maybe there was a shred of hope left in my soul. But then when I cut them open, every last one was perfect. It was enough to restore my faith in the world.
Ladies, Leave Those Umbrellas At Home!
My dear friend Sandi (HI SANDI) invited me along with her sister to a paint night this week, and as usual, it was so much fun. I did have doubts about my own skills, however, when I saw the sample painting. My initial thought was no way, this is going to be a mess, but you know what, it turned out pretty well!
I will say that the teacher, as well as anyone else who walked behind me and observed my painting, said repeatedly oh, that’s so interesting, what you’re doing with the skirt. To pull a quote from one of my favourite Seinfeld episodes, WHAT? I HAD A DIFFERENT INTERPRETATION! And if you can name that deep cut episode off the top of your head, let me know and I will send you a prize. What will the prize be? I have no idea.
It reminded me of my probably long-deceased childhood piano teacher, Mrs. Rechel. Along with exam pieces for the Royal Conservatory, I was encouraged to choose some “modern” pieces to play for fun. Frequently I would be playing these pieces of choice for her, and her mouth would just be a thin line. Oh, that’s very interesting, she would say, or, in some cases, Hmm. It’s certainly different.
Hot Carl In The City
Speaking of things that are different, I was reminded this week of the day back in 2012, when a car parked in my neighbourhood had a license plate HOT CARL. I remember wondering about the owner of this car, if his name was Carl and he had very high self-esteem, and then someone pointed out to me that a Hot Carl is a sex act that involves feces. To this day I think about this. Was the car owner really into Hot Carls? Or was he just a guy named Carl who thought he was all that and a bag of chips? Or – and here’s another deep cut – was he a fan of The Simpsons? This mystery is one for the ages. It will never be solved. Unless, of course, he (I assume that this person is a he) reads this and chimes in. Carl, are you there?
I came across this thought circuitously, because Jenny (HI JENNY) had posted an interesting photo of a car, a Range Rover no less, that proclaimed across its rear window Make Money Not Friends. You know what, I admire that kind of honesty. I would rather see that then some asshole who is cutting people off and behaving badly with a bumper sticker saying Choose Kindness. At least with the Range Rover, you know where you stand, and you would also expect to be cut off in traffic. Although I guess it’s not comparable after all, since we don’t know where we stand with Hot Carl.
Speaking of traffic, on my walk the other day I saw a man on a motorcycle wearing a mascot head in the shape of the Easter bunny. I wish I had the wherewithal to take a photo but to be honest, I was too stunned. I hope he had a helmet on underneath.
Weekly Reading
Girl, Woman, Other. This book blew me away; it is a work of art. I love women’s stories and I love short stories, and this really delivered. Each of twelve chapters is the life story of a different woman, and all of those short stories are interconnected in some way. The women are Black and British, and all their stories are unique and yet universal. It’s incredible to me how a good short story writer can convey so much with such an economical use of words. The writing style of this book is powerful and moving and adds to the emotionality of the experience. Loved it!
Tiger Eyes. My reread of Judy Blume continues with this, which was absolutely not a favourite of mine as a youth, but it’s a really fascinating read as an adult in 2025. The premise is very sad; a teen girl’s father is shot to death in his corner store, and her family transplants to New Mexico to be with relatives during the aftermath. The town in New Mexico is Los Alamos which is famous for being the place in which the atomic bomb was developed, and which itself was populated by physicists who research that and other weaponry. It’s a wild setting for a YA story, particularly one that was published in 1981 during the Cold War. This completely went over my head when I read it around age 11, as did the themes of grief, loss, and depression. Blume is such a master of weaving such heavy topics with those of sex, alcohol use, and family troubles, topics of deep interest to young readers. It was great on the reread, and there is quite a bit about Oppenheimer and American foreign policy, as well as changing ideas about Native Americans. There is still a bit of dated language which is unsavoury for the current climate, but it would have been still ahead of its time.
Bite By Bite. My friend Laura (HI LAURA) has never steered me wrong yet. She said this was her favourite food memoir, and the words “food” and “memoir” perked up my ears. Wow, was this a joy to read. Every chapter focuses on a different food – the majority are fruits, many exotic fruits, but she also waxes poetic about foods as varied as black pepper, gyro, waffles, shave ice, and lumpia. This book focuses on the joy of eating and how foods build community and celebration, and it is truly a delight. Talk about leaving toxic diet culture behind – this just made me want to celebrate the many delicious flavours in this world. Now, did an essay about pawpaw – a fruit I have never seen, let alone tried – bring me to tears? It sure did.
On the topic of joy and food: the grapes have all been pruned and tied and are ready for spring. Please enjoy Rex enjoying the prunings! Happy April, friends. xo
I definitely do that with songs, but maaaaybe not to the same extent that you do. But look at it this way- some people have negative thoughts on repeat through their brain, you have song lyrics.
Ha ha, Rex. Let’s hope that the guy with the rabbit head is making some kind of a statement, or getting ready for Easter, by riding through the town like that all month. Next time you could get a photo!
I’m wondering why I never read Tiger Eyes! I LOVED Judy Blume. Maybe I was just slightly too old- in 1981 I was a sophomore in high school. I can picture myself thinking I had outgrown her books. But I think I want to read it now!
I mentioned this in my blog comment section, but I thought there was some sort of screening to make sure people don’t get anything inappropriate on their license plates. Did “Hot Carl” just slip by? I want to know all about this “Carl!”
Well, maybe the guy’s name actually was Carl? I mean, who knows. This was in 2012 so was the urban dictionary a thing then? I have no clue! Probably it was.
I was laughing at every line of song lyrics, Nicole! “The blank page before you… ” Did you ever see that random movie I mentioned to you a while ago?
I’m happy to hear your avocado luck has turned and delighted to learn that you liked _Girl, Woman, Other_ I loved it too. Someone (Engie?) Mentioned not liking it recently, and that surprised me.
I love Judy Blume and Aimee N’s poetry (although I’ve never read this memoir or figured out how to pronounce her last name).
I’m so excited for your Turkey trip! (Remember when my mom wanted to just pick up and go the next week? lol)
I didn’t, Maya! I forgot to write it down! Dammit! See, if only I could squeeze out some of those lyrics, I’d have room for these types of things.
I LOVED GIRL WOMAN OTHER! It was so moving! I found myself being very choked up at numerous times in the book.
I looked through our chat–it’s a rom-com called _Anyone But You_ (I saw it on the plane.)
I’m going to write this down right now!
“Make Money Not Friends. You know what, I admire that kind of honesty. I would rather see that then some asshole who is cutting people off and behaving badly with a bumper sticker saying Choose Kindness. At least with the Range Rover, you know where you stand, and you would also expect to be cut off in traffic.”
I’m not sure why but I cannot stop laughing about this.
Wait, WHO WANTS POOP INVOLVED IN THEIR SEX LIVES? The world never ceases to amaze me. I’m going to guess it is never a woman who has had children and changed 100s of poop-filled diapers.
Yay for travel. We got home three weeks ago and I cannot stop thinking about going away again! I will live vicariously through you <3
The world is a vast tapestry, Elisabeth. What some of us flush down the toilets, others…wait, I cannot go there. I just grossed myself out.
You always make me laugh, thank you. And I admire your retention of song lyrics. I’m pretty sure most of the lines I remember are not in fact the right words.
Hahah but sometimes that’s very funny, like “Reverend Blue Jeans” or “You picked a fine time to leave me Lucille, four hundred children and a crop in the fields.”
I’d assume in the case of the Range Rover that the person driving the car and the person who affixed the sticker are not the same person. Perhaps a long-suffering spouse?
We can get paw paws at the farmers’ market in late summer/early fall.
Henceforth, may all your avocados be ripe.
Oh, that is something I never thought about! I just assumed it was a dickish kind of guy (I assumed it was a guy) who was into MAKING THE JACK. I just said those words in a certain way in my mind, I’m sure you can hear it from there!
So what do pawpaws taste like?? My South African friend said their pawpaws are like papayas.
Kind of like mango, but creamier. When they’re ripe, they’re very soft.
Nicole, I love your painting so much! Her skirt is gorgeous! It’s so wonderful that you can enjoy painting with your friends – another case of art bringing people together and putting joy into the world. Uhhhh, I could’ve happily lived out the rest of my life not knowing what a Hot Carl was. OMG. The thought of someone having it on their license plate really baffles me!
I’m looking forward to all of your gardening posts!
Michelle, I am definitely not an artist but it’s so fun to do! It’s such a great night out with the girls! I did learn a lot between last time and this time, the instructor was so helpful in showing me different brushes and techniques.
Oh wow. Hot Carl. Now that is a CHOICE. What in the world. There are some real crazies out there, but at least they are out in the open with their craziness?
We read Girl Woman Other for book club but I didn’t love it as much. My memory of it is vague as it was several years ago but I want to say there was something w/ the writing structure, like maybe she did not use punctuation or something like that? Some in our group really liked it, though, and it made for a good discussion.
I mean, it’s possible the guy’s name was Carl and he thought he was hot?
The writing structure was very different, the only capitalization was for names, and there were no periods except at the end of sections. I like that kind of thing, though, I found it added to the experience.
At my last job we had an employee whose last name was Constantinople, and I heard that song in my head every time I saw his name. Thankfully I do not know the lyrics so it never stayed with me for very long. The other song incident of that job was someone named Santa. We worked exclusively by email, but every time his name came up, I heard the song “Santa Baby, hurry down the chimney tonight” in my head. Hey he was very helpful and working with his was like getting a gift!
I will abstain from ID’ing “I had a different interpretation” since I have an unfair advantage. We’re in season 8 now.
I’ve never heard the phrase Hot Carl before but if I ever do, I’ll know what it is. Learn new things every day, that’s my motto.
It’s okay, you can play along! I’m sure you remember which episode it is!!! It’s one of my all-time favourites, right up there with The Boyfriend. (I hate Keith Hernandez! I despise Keith Hernandez! You’re helping him move? What’s next, are you driving him to the airport?)
So glad you enjoyed Bite by Bite. It’s a book I’ll read again & again. It’s so comforting. Did you know my husband has a PhD in nuclear physics and went to Los Alamos a few times? There was brief talk of a job there at one point, early in our marriage. In the news last week there’s talk that they are going to turn the area into a place for AI companies now. Out of the frying pan, into the fire I think.
Laura Laura Laura! I knew he was a PhD in physics but I didn’t realize a) nuclear physics, and b) that you could have been living in Los Alamos! Have you read Tiger Eyes?? And did you also cry about the pawpaw essay?
I too would not be able to hear the word Istanbul without singing the song.
Worse, I have a husband who apparently LOVES to be tormented by such involuntary association, and to torment others—so for example if I am telling him a story that involves any word that gives him this sort of association, he will BURST OUT WITH IT. A brief conversation intended only to remind him of an appointment with the tax preparer can result in three or four song/reference interruptions.
OMG I LOVE THIS. I will not infrequently burst out with references/ quotes and then will feel VERY WEIRD when no one else picks up on it.
They Might Be Giants has a lot to apologizing to do to the Turks, I think. I also wonder what I could have accomplished in my life if not for the deep recesses of my brain where the entire lyrics for Bon Jovi’s New Jersey and Skid Row’s Slave to the Grind live. Oh, well. I had a dream that was entirely based around knowing the words to a Bon Jovi song and the dream was so real that sometimes I’m confused about if it was real life. This entire paragraph makes no sense. I’m leaving it.
I think (I feel like I’m in confession) that I don’t like short stories. I do think that Girl, Woman, Other was beautiful writing, but I would get so mad each time we would change to a new POV. But I was just getting to know this one! I’d mutter angrily to myself. I want novels. No, I want entire NOVEL SERIES. I want to hang with the characters and know how’d they’d react when Swistle’s husband burst out into song or if they’d know the dirty definition of Hot Carl. Short stories are for people with stronger imaginations than I have.
If anyone says the words “halfway there” I immediately break into a WHOOAAA-OHHHH LIVING ON A PRAYER
It’s so funny, I so rarely read novel series! But love short stories. Maybe this says something about my attention span? The only series I can think of offhand is one you wouldn’t enjoy, the Lucy Barton series. But series tend to be mysteries or fantasy/ sci-fi, and those aren’t genres I gravitate towards. Thank god there are so many kinds of books for everyone!
Girl, I hear you! I can’t think of Istanbul without NOT Constantinople. Have you watched White Lotus this season? Every single time Rick has mentioned going to Bangkok, I’m singing One Night In Bangkok for the next 24 hours. I was explaining this to my son, who had never heard the song. I told him that one of my fave lyrics of all time is in that song, so I watch him look up the song w/lyrics video and he busted out laughing when he got to that part of the song.
I love your new towel and your painting. Also, the vineyard. Now, that’s the life!
Oooh can I guess, can I guess? Is it “I get my kicks above the waistline, sunshine?” Or “If you’re lucky then the god’s a she?” Hmmm…what else could it be, what else could it be…”the queens we use would not excite you?”
We might be going to Bangkok next year and then I will be with you on the singing!
How could it be anything besides “I get my kicks above the waistline, Sunshine!” Cracks me up every time!
Yes I absolutely break out in song internally, and sometimes externally, with regularity. Especially if it’s accidental Taylor Swift lyrics. “I don’t know about you,” you say? You know something “all too well,” hmm? Pretty much something for every word or phrase.
Hahahaha you’re my kind of girl, Ariana!
Yay for perfect avocados! And I look forward to your garden updates.
Thanks Dulcie! There will be many!
Oh wow – I did not need to know about Hot Carl. Ick!
Whoops, sorry Gigi!
I don’t generally have songs in my head, apart from one that often pops in when I’m running—and this is pretty embarrassing—BINGO. I just cleared out my summer beds and need to get my winter veggie garden planted before I go away next Saturday. I will definately be putting in some kale, and I have some broad bean and pea seeds coming in the mail.
Like the song about the dog named Bingo? That’s so funny! I love it!
I love how you have winter and summer gardens!
My daughter caught me singing BINGO in the shower once.
I have been known to sing “this is the song that never ends.”
Wow, there is a lot to unpack here. First of all, when you said Istanbul, I thought you were going to talk about the protests, which I guess is in the front of my mind, but then you started the song and now I can’t stop saying that it’s nobody’s business but the Turks. And to answer your question, I too have many songs in my head! My Mom used to be wowed when I was a kid because I would watch a movie once and then be able to sing all the songs, and I still have this one (useless) talent.
Secondly, is a Hot Carl like a Dirty Sanchez? I will be impressed if you know the answer to this question!
Lastly, I just could not get into Girl, Woman, Other because the punctuation (or lack thereof) drove me nuts. I could have probably (?) listened to it instead, which may have been better, but I could not read it, which is a shame because I know many others feel the way you do about it.
The protests, etc., would be top of mind – but this is going to be at least 18 months down the road for us, so I’m not thinking about it too much.
No! A Hot Carl is NOT a Dirty Sanchez!
Lack of punctuation is interesting to me, it doesn’t bother me at all while reading. But you’re not alone – Lisa mentioned that too!
Girl, Woman, Other. sounds a good I could read now as I have max 10 min before I fall asleep as soon as I hit the bed.
Nicole, since you have a garden and house, how do you keep bugs and ants controlled? any tips? we are new into living a house and not sure what to do other than pest control.
Do you have an infestation or just a few random bugs? If it’s the latter we don’t do much – I catch and release, my husband and sons squish. But we did have an ant infestation and that is something you have to control right away. We had one a few times, and we use ant traps and, if the problem is really bad, I spray the baseboards and the cracks where they are coming in with insecticide. Make sure you keep Cookie away from that though! That is what works here, I’m not sure how it is in Brasilia though.
Oh good lord, I always have a song playing in my head, it’s ridiculous. And often I don’t really KNOW the song, so if I’m cruel enough to share I will say something like, Guess what the song of the day is? It goes “mmmm ohh ah!” STUPID. Much better when it’s something like They Might Be Giants (which is now my song of the day, thank you, though I have switched over to “Birdhouse in Your Soul”.
I love your painting! A movie quote we use around here is from Back to the Future. “That was very interesting music Marty.” His young mother is very proud of herself for being so diplomatic with that one.
The guy with the rabbit head made me think of Steel Magnolias, where the Easter Bunny (Daryl Hannah?) rides off on the back of a motorcycle to get to a birth on time…(I think?)
SO MUCH POPULAR CULTURE…UGH. These pretzels are making me thirsty.
I read Girl, Woman, Other in 2020 and I could not focus so didn’t enjoy it as much as I perhaps could have. I am pretty sure I still have it around here somewhere, maybe I should give it another try?
REX! Enjoy those prunings!
YOU WIN!!! You got it right! God I love that episode. It cracks me up every time. Around here, anytime something is annoying we say THESE PRETZELS ARE MAKING ME THIRSTY!
Lololol the Back to the Future reference! I always think that when someone talks about sugar “just give me something without any sugar” – a black coffee.
LOL on the black coffee. Such a classic movie. “You’re my density…”
My dear Friend D’Anne is visiting me and just about every other sentence that one speaks, we will BOTH break out into song. The song lyric thing is real and I do blame them for taking up so much space that I can’t remember important things.
Also, now I have the Constantinople song in my head and I am NOT GOING TO GO THERE.
Your painting is lovely—what other way was that skirt supposed to look because it is artful and sweet to me.
VEGGIES! REX! So many pretty things in (and about to be in) your garden.
We really need a picture of the Bunny Motorcycle guy…but I do not want a picture of a hot carl. Nope.
I wish I was with you and D’Anne, because I would be joining in every second!!!
Thank you! The skirt was supposed to be colour-blocked and I knew I couldn’t do that, so I went a little more…fluffy?
Something tells me Carl didn’t know what a Hot Carl was when he walked into the DMV. 🤣
I absolutely love your painting. It’s beautiful!
I mean, I hope not? But who can say, WHO CAN SAY.
I am forever changed by learning about Hot Carl. I really hope it was that person’s name and they weren’t talking about their proclivities in public! But then IMAGINE if it IS just their name and then someone lets them know what a Hot Carl actually is. OMG. It’s all too much for me.
Everytime I talked about the stair climb I did last weekend, I got The Climb by Miley Cyrus stuck in my head so I get it.
Your painting is beautiful! I love the skirt.
I know, I know, I KNOW. I think about it ALL the time. All the time, Stephany! I go around and around, what if he was into that, but what if his name was just Carl, or what if – omg I just thought of this now – what if HIS LADY FRIEND GOT IT FOR HIM, AND HIS NAME WAS CARL, AND SHE THOUGHT HE WAS HOT. I will go to my grave thinking about this.
It’s the cliiiiimmmmbbbb…I get it! I think I told you how I cried every time I heard that song back in 2023!
I don’t have too many songs that bounce around in my head, but I’m susceptible to ear worms. That can be a drag.
Your painting is amazing. It is cheerful. Hot Carl is too funny. The things that make an impression on a person!
Thanks so much, Ally!
Some earworms last FOREVER. I still laugh about “Some Kind of Wonderful” – a friend and I will trade off, and every once in a while one of us will just burst out with “CAN I GET A WITNESS” and then the earworm will start all over again.
I love your eclectic posts! They are fun! I’m a huge Judy Blume fan and actually have her autograph in my favorite title, Deenie. I have lived with scoliosis since I was a teenager and that book meant everything to me. I love that you are traveling while you can! My condition is limiting me at this point. I would like to take 1 more trip to Europe..fingers crossed…