The Secret of the Turkish Brass Bell

It is our daily ritual, born in Paris.

I hold a little brass bell in the form of a small Turkish Anatolian man. Ted and I have a secret name for him – Anatoly.

The figure atop the bell is squat, primitive, with a small, pointed head, a figure built for carrying loads, a laborer. He is naked, save for a loincloth and a sort of cowl hat. I am not certain if this bell is something my parents picked up during our three years living in Turkey, or if the form of the man dates from the ancient Hittite Anatolian civilization, but I believe it does.

But for the past several years, every evening at six, if Ted and I are both at home, he rings the little Turkish bell. It is a ritual that began after one of our early trips to Paris, when he discovered how much he loves kir, that pretty “apéro,” a combination of white wine and a small measure of crème de cassis…. continue reading

https://persimmontree.org/winter-2022/secrets/?utm_source=Persimmon+Tree+Newsletter+Subscribers