There were 2 hard-for-me "waits" realized this week: I'm the one who never prays for patience because I get enough occasions to practise it. Those cause 2 slight shifts in the rhythms of life.
First, the inaccessible utility ledge outside the office becomes a finished teras, thanks to JP and his good management at the facility. Now W and I work outside and meet people on the porch instead of inside. Second, we have added a wee canine retiree to our household. That means I have a small poodle shadow everywhere I go. I forgot how much I missed that until Bertie arrives on Friday.
Two waits fulfilled. I'm always relieved when a wait is over.
What's the pop of color in the middle of the back wall?. I tear off branches of the Brazilian Red Crown shrub and throw them into a huge glass bowl. They hang over the sides in a glorious 3' display. Perfect for the porch.
Friday, March 12, 2021
It's a working morning with 3 hours of online meetings. How wonderful to talk to friends and global co-mentors. I also have a first counseling appointment with a psychologist recommended by a trusted counselor. I give him permission to ask me any questions that confirm that I'm on track or need to work through an issue.
"Is there something wrong? Is there a specific reason for this appointment?" Paul asks. Nope. Several top leaders in our organization advise routines of self-care that include a trained counselor. I'm acting on their recommendation.
It's a mental health check-in. I'll always prefer preemptive help and pursuing wellness more than medication or remedial help, whether that's daily walks and weekly hikes for physical health, a spiritual advisor, vocational mentors ... or now, a counselor.
I get a WA just before lunch from the pet taxi: "I'm 5-10 minutes away." Oops - we asked for a bit more warning than that. I pack up in the office, lock the doors, and head home at my best clip.
In our neighborhood, a white van stops beside me. "You Ibu Rosemarie?" the driver asks.
Yes I am. Francesco and his pet taxi are lost. He can't figure out our house number (is that a typed B or a 9?). He is driving around trying to figure it out. He hasn't used the Google Map pinpoint so he's glad to see me and follows me home.
Oh Bertie is a cutie! W has put the other dogs in their crate for his arrival. We are warned by Francesco, "He's a good dog but won't do his thing in the yard. Then you bring him in and he poops and pees in the room 5 minutes later."
Oh oh, that's not going to happen if I can help it! I walk him to where our dogs go and he does his business. Whew.
And how does an alpha dog adjust to a new home? We want to avoid aggression from the start. First, we take the old dogs out of the yard, letting the new one wander around and potty in the right place. Then the newcomer comes inside while the old dogs return to the yard to explore who's been on their turf. We do this off and on for a day = tradesies.
On the second day, we go for a walk. The regulars are out the gate before the new dog appears from the house. He's last on the walk, on a separate leash. Within a block, they're walking across the street from each other. The handlers have to stay calm; we're not talking except for the cheery, 'good dog' as they walk beside us. The dogs can sort out their pecking order later, but you don't want to rile up an old-timer by making the new guy their competition.
That's what we do with Bertie, "a wonderful boy but remember that he's been the alpha at our house," according to Elizabeth Love of #BaliPoodleDoodle.
Bertie has no problems at all fitting in. Mind you, he's been well-socialized by Elizabeth, who's had him since he was 10 weeks old. And he's been a pack dog all his life.
After walking 2 miles around the neighborhood, we take the dogs to a big fenced schoolyard. We let them off leash and hold our breaths. They sniff each other and walk around the yard. No drama. Then we walk them home together ... and let them off the leash when we get into our yard. That's it. No fuss at all.
When I whistle, the big dogs run over and sit near me. Treat time! Bertie watches and it's not long before he catches on and gets his treat, too. (I use that high whistle to call them if they get out of sight on our Thursday walks - though sometimes Gypsy decides whether to come or not.)
"Is this your new grandchild?" one lady giggles as she walks by. Nope. But they've never seen us with our grandchildren, just with our dogs.We have 4 wonderful grands and we miss them! Dogs are special on a different level entirely.
I do some trimming in the garden, my new little white shadow right beside me. I'd forgotten the pure pleasure of a small poodle: they are wired to adore their people. Doesn't hurt anyone to have a little adoration, right?
When I come up on the teras, Bertie is still running around. He finds a patch of mud in the grass and rolls around to his heart's content. And the white hair turns black. He is covered in wet dirt from ear to tail to paws. What a happy boy.
... Until I wash him off. The perfection of his blowout disappears in a mass of poodle curls. Sorry #1BaliGroomer Pak Agung. Less than 24 hours here and Bertie already looks more like a dog than a model. Sigh. Good doggie anyway. He stands like a champion, head and tail held high.
The whole day long, the dogs wander around - they get 2 more walks from our driver, who says there's no trouble at all. They pad along together like they've always been a pack.
"Do we need a 3-way coupler?" asks Waldemar. I've never seen one. But we do prefer having the big dogs on one leash.
Saturday
We take a long walk in the morning, work for a few hours, and then prep toppings for pizza night. This one is supposed to start at 3:30, which means I have 15 minutes to grab a book, lay down, and pretend I napped. They don't come until 4. But I'm already up.
It's always a highlight of our week to have pizza night. We are gradually meeting with all the families in our community of friends, one group at a time.
W mixes the pizza dough on Tuesday.n This week he's got a second evening (next Tuesday night) to prepare for, so he makes 2 batches. After a 4-5 day cold rise in the fridge, he'll warm them to room temperature, roll them out, and pre-bake the crusts before our friends arrive.
It's the oddest thing: I'm trying to hunt down a blue-and-white Dutch-style floor tile. We're using one on the porch, there are 2 in the kitchen, and the 4th has ... disappeared.
Sunday
W sets his alarm every Saturday night for a coffee group from Seattle that meets at 11pm our time. Today I get up as he's coming to bed. There's a 3-hour women's conference from 12-3am. I set my alarm, catch a few hours of sleep, and throw a batik scarf over my PJs. It's wonderful to see the faces of leaders. So it's worth showing up. However, I am tired when it's over.
I put in earplugs against the roosters, chants, and traffic of the pre-dawn hours. I pull eye shades on and don't wake until full light at 6am. W and I get the dogs out the gate by 6:30 for a long walk.
On the way home, we stop in at the schoolyard again while I feed the fish in the office. Today, Bertie meets Casey, the wee alpha dog who rules the place. They check each other out. Then Casey amuses herself by chasing our biggest dog (Gypsy) around the yard. Yup, she's the boss.
BICOnline gathers at 9. W hosts the pastor-chat at 10:30. And I show up for a meeting at 11.
It's hot out at noon, mostly overcast but the sun bores through the cloud cover occasionally. W's wanted to walk down to a new-to-us restaurant #BICorner. Something comes up every time, so today we finally pull on hats, walking shoes, and test it out.
Isn't the restaurant courtyard gorgeous? On a call this week, my mom reminds me that I've always loved plants. When I was a toddler, they had to watch me when we went to visit because I'd dig through our hosts' flowerpots and have potting soil everywhere.
Two of us siblings like pets. Two others have no interest in them at all. I remember catching the spiders who lived in the bricks of our childhood porch, worms dug from the garden, and bees caught in mason jars from the honeysuckle hedge. I had guinea pigs, fish, and birds, too. Dad wouldn't let us get a dog.
BICorner's yard is advertised as "pet-friendly" but the server is scared to death of Bertie. He calmly rests under the seats or trots around the empty courtyard.
I choose lamb chops - the best I've had in Bandung - for $5.00, including vegetables and fries. W has their fish and chips. And he orders a sample platter so we can try a few things ... for $3.50. I will happily come back again.
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*The time is surely coming, says the Lord God, when I will send a famine on the land; not a famine of bread, or a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it. Amos 8:11-12
*Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it!” Luke 11:28
*By grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8
Moravian Prayer: Living God, as we continue our spiritual journey during Lent, may your word become more precious to us. As we read, study, reflect, and obey the word of God, may we grow closer to you and stronger in our faith. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
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