damn weeds

well we have good news and not so good news on the cancer front.  the good news it that the spots in the lungs are shrinking...the not so good news is that one of the tumors in the abdomen is growing-damn weeds.  a decision has been made to continue treatment "as is".  we will return in 3 months to assess the growth.  the dr. believes that we can afford to wait for more growth until changing treatment.  frankly, this is an effort to give gin as much time as we can until having to begin chemo treatment, which is the next line of attack.  we are feeling good about the lungs and are a little set back with the growth...BUT we are taking comfort in the fact that ginny feels great and looks great.  this appears to be a slow moving train and we expect that there will be many stops and things to do and see before we are asked to board the chemo train again...

love
kir&gin

summer...slip sliding away

first i want to share that we are still basking in the glow of this summer's travel...so good to focus on living life...

basking aside...three months ago we were given a three month break from mayo...next week we return for a scan and meeting with the good dr. peethambaram.  the tests are on the 26th and the results will be given at an early appointment on the 28th.  stay tuned.

on the 29th i will be traveling to winnipeg to attend the wedding of a high school friend and pick up my sister erika and her kids jayme (6) and dustin (almost 5).  we will have them with us in minnesota for 9 days...BIG FUN!

will be sure to post pics of our time...
kirsten

mylovelights...

chai (morning, noon, and night)
dolphins
zelve
watermelon
gözleme
dervishes
call to prayer in istanbul
morning chai with byron and allegra
walk to göreme
planes trains (metros) and the infamous dolmus rides...
bartering for lanterns
ephesus
algida (limon is great but the pineapple was my fav)
izmir market
swimming in the aegean sea
kuşadası sunset 
blue mosque
ayasofya
rotton lemon landing
sweet grapefruit


my biggest lovelight were the j-ps...thank you haak, leggy, by-ron and joce...it was magical...it was eye, ear, nose and taste bud crazy good...

my fantastical turkish adventure is over...thanks for coming along...would be happy to spend a little time on the porch drinking turkish chai and telling stories of turkey and the farewell tour with my ginny...so those of you in the neighborhood stop on by...


kir

up up and a controlled crash landing...

cappadocia is one of the top hot air ballooning locations in the world...depending on the source they are ranked number one or number two (second only to kenya)...so it seemed to me that there was no better place to make a maiden voyage...

 unable to take pics of my balloon...i took pics of the other butterfly balloon...we went in to the canyons too...outrageous...

 at one point there were over 40 balloons in the air...magnificent!

 others landing

 it was so amazing to see the area from the sky...we flew over many of the sites visited earlier in the week...

 the color of the earth/rock is so amazing...was interesting to see it this way from the sky...

 as part of the pre-flight...we were told about the possibility of a controlled crash landing...i giggle as i type...this type of landing rarely happens...well i am a lucky girl!

 we hit the ground...bounced...bounced again...blew through a sea of rotten lemons in a field...bounced again and then came to a stop...on our side...this was taken between bounce two and three...i thought we were done...and then we went again...

 on the ground...captain mike took a pic before we got out....

 our landing spot

 champaign and cakes to celebrate our flight....

 the crew doing their thing...

loved it...loved it...loved it....even with the crash landing (truth be told it was a highlight)...

after a little nap and down time with the j-ps we made a quick visit to friend laura's house...what a treat...her home is being featured in the ny times...and rightly so...she has purchased 10-12 cave dwellings and have renovated them...they are an exclusive b&b...my mouth hit the floor many times on the tour...someday i will return to turkey and i will stay there...

at 6 pm we climbed the hill to crazy ali's shop...there was a mix up with the shuttle so we hung out for a little over an hour...crazy ali offered us grapefruit...i have to say that it was the best grapefruit i have ever eaten...EVER...a wonderful way to end time in turkey...sweet grapefruit and people watching from a bench in front of crazy ali's shop with people i love...

ahhhhhhhh this girl is so pleased with the adventure...so thankful for the opportunity...and ready for more...

kir

loving cappadocia...

a slow sunday start for the johnson-pihlaja tribe and the lindbloom...after a lazy morning we headed out to zelve...yet another jaw dropping stop...this one with an interesting twist...this village (three small valleys of cave homes) was an active community until the 1952 when the residents were forced to relocate to a "new" zelve because of structural concerns (safety)...

 the mosque

 pigeon houses

 church

just can't get enough of this stuff

 much to see

 there is a tunnel between valleys one and two...dark...eroding stairs...and some healthy anxiety made for a great sense of accomplishment for all of us...

 car wash?

 a little time with haak...we marked our shady spot...

 after zelve we went to the home of joce and byron's friend elaine for a post 4th of july party...a few ex-pats in the mix...a great time...the baby pool help cool folks off...the water gun in laura's hand helped too.

 this is john (elaine's little guy)

 elaine...

 haak and laura get a little nuts with the water...

 it was a very american meal...burgers and wings...chips...watermelon...chocolate cake...sparklers and american patriotic songs too...

before the sun dips i caught mr. johnson...not sure what we are thinking about...but i love the pic....

after the sun disappears we head for home...yet one more day requiring a shower to flush the layers of dust and one more "holy crap i am whooped" night...

this is my last night in cappa...monday night i fly to istanbul and start the 3 day journey home...

yet i am whooped just thinking about it...

kir

for ginny: yet another day closer to you...loving these folks and missing you...looking forward to making you tea and telling you EVERYTHING...i do, oh yes i do (love you that is)

bir...iki...üç (one...two...three)...it was far from an icky day in cappa

beer icky ooch (bir...iki...üç) is pretty much all the turkish learned this trip...that and chai (tea)...not much of a challenge there :)

on day iki we hit it hard...we piled into the rental car and off we went....this pic is taken from the overlook...this is joce and byron's neighborhood...crazy huh?

the diversity in the neighbors is quite incredible...ex pats...balloon pilots...and local yocals...

i love this pic

our first stop on the official tour was one of the many churches...the ruins are really impressive...

leggy and haakon are once again visiting sites already seen...good sports!

haakon's current love/obsession is xmen...he is sporting his homemade wolverine "claws"...love the dynamic that this brings our tour...ancient christian church and the wolverine...what more could one want...

a trip to the market in Ürgüp makes for a great people watch...

holy garlic batman...

i really like this shot...the "auntie" in the pic has just purchased a new flag and is checking it out...

after the market stop...which included a stop at the regular grocery store and a quick trip to the carpet shop for joce...we headed out to a site near mustafapasa (sobesos an ancient roman city)...the story with this is a little nuts...in the 60s a the farmer who owns the land found some "stuff" while working the earth and wrote the government to tell them...for 40 years he wrote...in 2002 someone finally came out to see what he had...the story goes that when they showed up he had a roman column holding up the corner of his porch...quite the find...this is a pic of the roman baths...

roman mosaic

a church was built on top of the roman floors...oh the layers and oh the stories they hold...

we hit the rode and come up on this group of gals...the truck is a "king" cab (okay that seems imposible but truth is being told) and so there are 5 more ladies being driven by a man in the front...i couldn't resist! i have to tell you that i had to work hard for this shot...being sneaky when the people you are trying to sneak up on are watching is tough going...

out next stop was the hidden valley.  over the past 9 days there have been several golden byron one liners...the shutter caught this one...(joce it was about the potato)...i love these people...so genuinely funny...

the hidden valley is owned by a couple and they have opened it up for the public to enjoy...it is a site for weddings and other events...a great stop...

here is mrs. hidden valley...we are in a large cave that has been set up in a living room like setting with several seating areas....notice the chai set up on the left...i ended up buying a pot...the lindbloom-larsen's will be brewing turkish tea in a few days...

a couple of cups of chai and a little time with mr. hidden valley...and we are off for the next stop on byron tours....

imagination valley (deverent) for our next stop...the fairy chimneys are uniquely shaped...animals etc.

a great stop...

more fairy chimneys...do not remember the location for these next pics...but it was huge fun...

love these kiddos...

the j-p adventure...have enjoyed following this crew over the past 9 days...

not sure what i am looking at...

we climbed to the top of the hill and did some climbing and playing...i love this picture...we are making shadow art on the white stone...hee hee...a little kung fu fighting...super ninja lindbloom in action...

good times...good friends and classic haakster...

hungry are we...so with hit the big town of göreme for pide and other yummy turkish treats...after dinner we hit the stores and i did a last round of shopping...i scored some a few terrific items...

there have been a few daily occurrences on this trip...multiple glasses of chai...coke zero...at least one shower...some days two (heat and seeing the sights grime)...and popsicles...i wonder how many limon max popsicles were consumed by the mini jps this year?

day three brings more sights and good fun...

kir