An 8-fly day is a good day

Thursday, November 23, 2017
8 flies. That's all I got today.

Every time I get into the shower, I squish as many drain flies as I can catch. They flit over the chipped and the peeling surface of the aged blue tiles. When they land, a hand slap and they're dead. These super-bomber-shaped triangles buzz around the bathroom walls and ceiling.

Some days, there are 40 or more of them. I've sprayed, put essential oils and other natural deterrents into the drain and shower ... and they persist. On a good day, there may only be 8-10. Today was a good day. I'm thankful.

A lot of writing happens in this office of mine. I curl my feet into the rug we bought a decade ago in Montana. The rug was finger-crocheted using yarn ends from the Penelton wool mill in Oregon. It's a warm and comforting base under the old teak dining table that serves as my desk.

In the evening, I head to a restaurant on the next hill to meet about 50 others for Thanksgiving dinner. I'm privileged to say grace over the meal, dreamed up by our friend Bob on the porch a week and a half ago. I didn't know if he and his staff could pull it off, but the table settings are beautiful, the attendees are happy to be together, and we have a good evening.

The evening gets off to a cheery start: we're judging 20+ photos hung on the wall in a contest of scenes of Bandung.

Rice terraces: my photo entry

The restauranteurs are friendly and some of us pitch in to help with their first-ever Thanksgiving feast. Four friends have baked turkeys for them; my helper made 8 breads, which are a hit with pumpkin soup as a first course. Then we eat the turkeys, potatoes, gravy, and veges ... all yummy. We end with ice cream on pumpkin pie. (Our helper baked the 6 huge pies from 4 little pumpkins).

I sit with two Australian women who are studying foreign development and politics. Their universities are participating in an exchange with Indonesian students. They like Bandung, though they admit some things take them by surprise. One gal is treating her studies as a test run, to see if she can cross cultures successfully. So far, so good. We invite them to some of our events.

Friday
Our hikes have changed from Thursday to Friday for the next few months. (Thursdays, W and I have a study in the afternoon, so it was always a scramble to get back on time from the mountains around the city to home - and then we'd quickly shower off the grit and dirt before heading out.)

Sundanese tea plantation workers

Today, we're circling some hot springs, which means we're pretty close to a volcano. We walk through tea fields and overgrown forest trails. Someone has hacked off the abundant growth of rainy season from on one side of the path. The cuttings fall over the ground. We can hardly see the trail under piles of sticks and leaves.

Our security yard dog Gypsy runs ahead and does his job of chasing away wildlife: we see no snakes or other critters during the miles of grass, branches, and mud underfoot.

The scenery is stunning and the ground is mostly level (if you don't count a steep hike down and back up from the waterfall.)

Acres of tea

Ants swarm the fallen branches, scavenging and returning to their nests. We have many kinds of ants in the house, in the yard, and in the wild. They're everywhere, persistent and hardworking. Ugh.

I ask some of the women what they get out of the walks. One, in language school, says it clears her brain for the hard work of learning. Another thrives on the exercise. For some it's the company, getting out of the house to be with other people.

Up and down a treehouse that serves as a lookout across the valley

Me? It helps me stay healthy and alert for planning, hospitality, teaching, and other stuff we do here. I also get to pray for people I'd never otherwise meet, in places I probably wouldn't go.

After lunch, we drop fellow walkers at their places, and I get some reading done. Soon it will be time to teach another course.

In a sudden burst of creative energy, I chop my hair, It was almost time for a haircut anyway. Saves a lot of time and money to do it at home. I'm grateful for sharp scissors.

Read more:
*The Lord will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish. Psalm 9:18 NIV

*Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100 NIV

*When I think of your ordinances from of old, I take comfort, O Lord. Psalm 119:52 ESV

*Mary sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. Luke 10:39 ESV

*Paul wrote: We will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 ESV

Moravian Prayer: Gracious God, you never abandon those in need of your help. Remind us that we cannot rely on ourselves alone, but are in constant need of your guiding light.

God of the harvest, we give you thanks not only for the bounteous yield, but for the peace we find in your holy teaching. Help us to be like Mary and listen to your words for us. Amen.