It's cold. 70o (21C). And in the afternoon, it rains. Maybe rainy season is here to stay. The last two weeks were dry after a week of rain when we all thought rainy season was here.
So is another beautiful parasite that climbs up the trunk next to it.
The thunder scares Gypsy the yard dog - he runs out of the gate and will only jump into the tailgate of the van to come back home. Cocoa,the poodle strolls through the kitchen and into the crate to wait for her buddy to show up. We put on "gentle pop" music, as chosen by Alexa.
W has Christmas music streaming in the LR. I've been using a "white pine" JR Watkins Soy Wax Candle as a stress-diffuser for months. I smell the forest behind our Seattle house as I inhale. When culture here feels disconnected from my reality? one sniff and I carry on.
It's fun to have the mix of things - stockings hand-made by our friend Sitora, a framed Christmas Words picture from Sandy, who's back in Canada, a few ornaments from my mom and grandkids ... it all goes into the Bandung mix.
W drops off our white Christmas tree in the BIC hall and I fluff up the branches. It has yellowed somewhat in the sun over the past 2 years. And the plastic wrap during the year doesn't help! The white tree usually sits on our porch through New Years so the neighbors can take an ornament from its branches after our New Years Eve gathering.
I walk home while he heads to town - I get to our house's overhang just as the rain starts. It's pouring within minutes, so Pak Gum takes Ibu S home in the car - and I forget the bread baking in the oven until the smell reminds me. Well, it's a bit overdone but still good!
My home office is full of plates, bags, steam trays, and other klim-bim from Community Dinner last Saturday. Somehow, someone forgot that I hate clutter in here and ... it's still here. We'll get rid of it by tomorrow at the latest.
We are hiring an assistant to pick up details for the 3 routines: movie night, community dinners, and the Bandung IC. I've done so little teaching that I can do most of the scheduling for that until s/he gets up to speed. But we're drowning in details, going in so many directions!
Tuesday
The team meets in the morning. W has prepared the talk for Sunday and I'm reading it through for the first time. By the time we present it Sunday, it will be ready. This is a weekly task that brings us great joy and teaches us so much about our faith and the scriptures.
W is off to the hospital to visit someone with stomach issues. My next meeting arrives so I have to take care of that. Someone is donating time to clean our facilities - we do a tour to see where the most important areas are. They're cleaning our chairs! That's probably the first time in ages... I can't wait.
In the BIC hall, he design team is doing a great job. They set up a photo booth where families and friends can snap a memory.
Wednesday
We start with a breakfast date at Nara as usual. Then it's time to head for town. I need fabric for the "free" furniture - its foam cushions are poking through the worn-out fabric.
We drop W at one place where he tries to renew a telephone plan. "Not until you run out,
says the clerk after 1 hour. "It expires tonight at midnight." He runs some other errands.
I find the fabrics in the basement of King Mall. Trust me - I'm a quilter. They'll match once they're sewn into sofa covers and pillows.
We meet up at Mother's Bakery - there are Western-style sandwiches we love. The orchid is blooming in the parking lot.
We're home by mid-afternoon. W grinds coffee for a friend who accidentally bought coffee beans. And we have a relaxing evening. Tomorrow is American Thanksgiving, but I'm thankful in advance.
Read more:
*Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10
*Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. Psalm 97:11
*Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4
*In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures. James 1:18
Moravian Prayer: Lord, you are holy! We are born from the word of your truth, and the first fruits of your creatures. Let us take time to be still and know that you are holy.
Christ, you are the great king! Even as we mourn, we take comfort in your everlasting promise to join you in your kingdom. Help us to be still and know that you are God! Amen.
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