Nearly the end of April 2023 and I'm back in my second home - the Aydin province of Turkey - after staying nearly 5 months in Blighty where it was and always will be, wonderful  to be with family even when the weather is a trial (most of the time). Here in my summer home  I'm now Read more...

Nearly the end of April 2023 and I'm back in my second home - the Aydin province of Turkey - after staying nearly 5 months in Blighty where it was and always will be, wonderful  to be with family even when the weather is a trial (most of the time). Here in my summer home  I'm now the very new owner of another furry friend - Rufus the woofer - rescued from the council shelter and destined to be the second love of my life, after Harry the cat. He and I are adjusting to certain routine changes, but Blip is the continued constant in my life, amazingly for more than ten years now.  I don't need to explain why - you probably already know.

Previously: 
August 2020 and I'm still here in Blipland and in Turkey, although I am no longer in Istanbul, having retired this summer after 22 years of teaching music and art to the most wonderful teenagers.  Currently adjusting to a new life in my summer home on the Aegean, in the Aydin province of Turkey, unable and unwilling to go back to England during this Covid crisis, like everyone these days, not really sure what tomorrow will bring. 
Previously
March '18  sixth year well underway. Kind of wish I'd worked this consistently at something, anything, during my school days....
Jan '16 - I'm still here..... three years done and counting, hoping it will be four or more, don't stop me now.  Charlie the cat moved out, Harry the kitten moved in, Persembe visits increasingly frequently making this a three, sometimes four cat home.  My abandoned MA (2014) is now resurrected as of Feb '16, so to finally finish is my goal for the year. 
Feb '15 and time for an update since starting to Blip on 01/01/13.  
I am still a Highschool teacher of Art and Music and Dept Chair. 
I am still aiming to create a daily journal though I have given up trying to be arty-farty, at least, not every day.  Sometimes I manage to take a picture I like though.  My top ten favourite images, memories,  listed below....
I am still awed and amused in equal measure by those who post on this site and have become a part of my life.
I am still British, though the many quirky Turkish mannerisms I have adopted over the years would have some of my friends dispute that. I have also occasionally been mistaken for American having absorbed some twang and slang from my dearest colleagues. 
I still live in Istanbul, in 65 acres of woodland (ok, School Campus) on the European shore of the Bosphorus with some cats, Elizabeth, Caroline and most recently, Charlie a campus feral came to stay. I moved to a different apartment in summer '14 and now live in the converted attic of a C19th Ottoman wooden hunting lodge which has its ups and downs.  Mostly in the three flights of stairs required to tread in order to take out the trash rubbish.

Milestone Blips:
100
200
300
365
500
730
1000
1095
1460
1500
2000
3000
4015

  Long may our shutters continue to fall and catch the day.  


My personal favourites:
11th March 2024
21st March 2023
2nd September 2022
8th May 2022
16th July 2021
24th November 2020
5th May 2020
27th June 2019
9th June 2019
19th April 2019
13th February 2019
20th October 2018
26th June 2018
8th January 2017
15th January 2016
15th July 2015
14th May 2015
17th March 2014
12th December 2013
22nd November 2013
2nd November 2013
15th October 2013
29th April 2013