Wool Socks and Butt Slaps

I couldn't help but title this post any other way. "What in the world do wool socks & butt slaps have in common?" Well, if you have a Turkish grandma, you wouldn't need to ask this question.
I met mama Ceylan's mother this weekend. Granny grew up in a small village near Denizli, modern day Colossae. Think: outhouses and your pets are the same thing as next week's dinner. The women of this generation often were thick wool or cotton stockings along with wool socks they personally knitted. And that is exactly what Granny made for me, wool socks.

So not long after meeting her, she presented me with her gift. While I may never sport these things in public, it's a really cool gift to remember her and perhaps pass-on to her great grandchildren one day. So I said "so pretty, thank you very much" in Turkish. And then grandma followed up by swinging her hand back and slapping fairly hard on my butt. For a moment, I thought we were playing for the Tennessee Titans and I had just scored a touchdown. :)

Umut saw the look of humor and surprise on my face and immediately told me, "This is how grandmothers show their love."

And that is the story of wool socks and butt slaps.