A word from the Best part of the Companionship

Nori with a guard at the Ulucanlar Cezaevi (prison)
The guard is a wax figure.  We debated the entire tour
about whether he was real.  She went back to poke him to find out!

Nori does not like to write articles for the blog, but she is much better writing to the various people around the globe.  She has a completely different view point than me.  Of course that is no surprise.  The following is a copy of a letter she just wrote.  She is not aware I am using her writing to add to the blog.  I will most likely suffer for this, but her thoughts should be out there for you all to enjoy.  So here is Nori .....

Only in Turkey would you hang an oil
painting this way.  Look carefully!

A rare sight, a dog on a leash.  Also is this
the RCA dog?  Notice the phonograph.

A job with security and lots of labor.  Hauling
trash taken from the regular trash bins.

"Now that the Holidays are coming around, I'm really feeling it!  Last year it was just kind of a relief to be free from all of the work for a while but this year I REALLY WANT THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS!  

Simmit salesman.  Number one career.

Antique Mosque piller symbole of Islam

Fred continues to write in the blog about how not busy we are, but the man should speak for himself!  He does a lot of laying on the couch watching TV while I'm busy as a little bee.  No matter how many girls you have being Young Women President is the busiest job on earth.  Also I am cooking like a fiend!  Every time I turn around I have to make food for YSA or the Elders or for people we invite to dinner, for investigators etc.  Just the shopping alone for the food is enough to keep me busy 3 days a week!  Also trying to keep up this horrid apartment is never ending!  It just won't come clean and I just keep trying to get it clean!  

My Young Women and I have been busy making hats for the refugee center and also for the Elders to give out randomly to people who they meet who look cold.  The girls are loving every minute of it and really learning to serve, (I think)

The weather here has been unseasonably nice but has turned a little cool.  It is almost identical latitude as Utah so the weather is very similar.  I think we can expect quite a winter.  We can't regulate the heat in either the apartments or in the chapel part of the building so half the time we have the air conditioners on with the heat.  Crazy!  I know!  I'm just never at the right temperature.  

I think we have seen about all there is to see in Ankara.  It is a boring city with a very poor transportation system.  Traveling anywhere is a harrowing experience that takes forever!  We have used Taxis more in the past 2 months than in the combined 10 months before that.  By at least 10 times!  That's not a bad way to travel, only it is expensive!

We just had our Primary Program and it was wonderful!  We only have 15 Primary Children but they did a great job and the spirit was strong.  Just makes me miss my grandkids a lot more though.  Our little Joey is turning 3 on Dec 6th.  I have missed half his life! (almost) I HATE that!

OK......I started this email yesterday but just got back to it (Monday 3:45 pm).  Sorry.  We just got the word that our refugee family that is here in Ankara have been assigned to their city to await the UN's placing them somewhere else in the world.  Their youngest daughter is in my YW and their other daughter is 19 years old.  Neither have them have been to school for over 8 years.  Between threats to their lives in Iran and then their flight away from there, it has been either impossible or too dangerous for them to go to school.  Fred and I had devised a plan to teach them the basics in order to try to get the oldest girl a GED  and get the younger one ready for High School.  Now they will live 2 1/2 hours away (by car) and our plan has gone out the window.  We are so depressed!  We have really come to love these people and feel so sorry for them but we were also looking forward to having something meaningful to do. "  
End of Nori's thoughts.  I made a couple of modifications but did not change any of the content.

Business men heading for Friday prayer.

Nori does a lot of work, but unfortunately I do not cook like her and no matter what she does, the apartment will never meet her standards.  

We are both trying to get out every day for exercise, but walking the streets of Ankara is very hard.  If there is not a car parked on the sidewalk, then the cement or tiles are all broken up and you have to constantly watch your feet or you will fall and twist your leg.  We are both stumbling all the time.  The streets are so narrow that trying to walk on the street is just plain dangerous.  Besides, I think I have mentioned that the pedestrian has no rights and cars hardly slow at cross streets.

We are reminded every day of the good life we left in the States.  There is no way we can ever look at our freedoms without thinking of the plight of the folks looking for a country to be able to make personal choices.