Monday, March 15, 2021
What did we do before Zoom, WA video, and FaceTime? This morning, I have 3 hours of calls, all of them life-giving and helpful. For the first one, we are doing handwork - quilting and knitting together. Frees the mind to think deeply. I roll up the quilt on the table.
We're waiting for dinner guests this afternoon. 2 plan to sleep over. The others will be at a nearby hotel reputed for its great service and beautiful valley views.
"We'll be there about 4pm," they text. Except that they' leave the last place at 3 ... and miss the turnoff to the express highway. It takes an hour to fight their way back onto an entry ramp. Still, it's less stress than churning through traffic leaving the big city. (Jakarta has 28 million people and still counting. Yup - it's that big. Most Canadians could fit into its metro area.)
Before 7pm, I decide to tuck their Mexican-style supper fixings into the fridge. They can make lunch tomorrow: W and I can't eat a big meal at 8 or 9pm.
What do I have on hand? They're 1/2 hr away. We'd planned beef burger sliders for lunch tomorrow. How about that? The bread's not baked yet but the meatballs are rolled and waiting in the refrigerator.
I pull together taco rice (already warming in the rice cooker), make gravy for the meatballs, steam vegetables with added flavor and butter, and find a bowl of acar (pickled cucumbers). It's on the table when they pull in the gate at 7:20.
It's always relaxing to sit on the porch with company. The mountain air pushes the virus and other griefs away. We love these friends - and are delighted to see their little boys growing up. Total cuteness.
Tuesday
W and I walk to the office to record Sunday's talk. By 6:30am, the sun is starting to stream into the windows. It used to take a lot of effort to capture what we want to say, but we've been online for a year. Now it's easier. And faster.
I walk home to cook French Toast for breakfast with our two houseguests. Melvina's up so she joins us - great fun to be together. Three of us walk up to the office to see where W and I spend much of our time.
W goes shopping with the two houseguests while I take two online calls. Then I'm hungry. One call is a study with a Malaysian friend and the other is to a co-mentor in Washington State. Meanwhile, the helpers have baked bread-buns. They are hot, soft, and salty.
Lunch isn't going to happen at lunchtime. One of the other guests pulls in before noon. I've just taken yesterday's "supper-fixings" out of the fridge so the meat can return to room temperature. He wants to film an interview with us before we eat. It's off-the-cuff; we have no prep or idea what he's going to ask. This could take a while. Hot bread buns it is ... we grab one each at noon to tide us over.
I end up chopping and prepping with Ibu Sumi, while M grills the meat and Katie warms the tortillas. The steak and avocado mousse, inside the warmed tortillas, is so good that I forget to take a picture.
Can you make Lemon Meringue Pie (with our limes), I ask Ibu A? And forget to give her the recipe. She finds a bilingual cookbook and combines the egg whites into the lemon pie, baking it to a custardy texture. It doesn't look like lemon meringue pie, which most people love. That's ok. "This would see out in the mall in a heartbeat," say our Jakarta guests. "Indonesians would love the texture and the sweet-sour taste."
We've picked over 50 limes from our 5' tree. it's still blooming. Still bearing. We have enough for another attempt on Thursday. "Let's separate the egg whites and make a meringue next time, shall we?"
We eat the carnitas and talk and laugh on the porch until late afternoon.
Full. That's the only way to describe how we feel. Laughter, another memory together, and lots of food.
We decide to stay in during the evening while the guests venture around the city a bit. We hand them a key and say, "Have fun!" By the time they head out at 7:30pm, everything will be closed. Sure enough, none of the street food venders are around; there's little to explore or see. They do enjoy the food at Nara, nearby. We're sleeping by the time they come back.
Wednesday
I wake early (4-ish?) Before our walk, the pizza toppings are chopped for lunch and the breakfast crepes are mixed. I remember that we got frozen peaches from our last trip to the Adventist grocer. They always have good fruit, seeds, and grains. How about that with fresh crepes?
W and I head out the door with the 3 dogs, Katie joining us around the neighborhood. Nice to have a fast walker - and she likes walking our dogs because they're well-behaved.
Today the crepes don't stick to the little saucepans - I pour batter and swirl two side-by-side pans to make the prep go faster. Hmmm. Those peaches are a bit sour but delicious with whipped cream on top of the crepes. As usual, everything is in the fridge - I just have to pull out ingredients.
W takes several guests up to the tea fields where they want to take pictures with their drone. Hope they know how to fly it: would be easy to lose in the acres of lines of tea shrubbery.
Read more:
*Please, show me your glory. Exodus 33:18 NKJV
*Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” John 14:8-9
*Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave
you. Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 4:29-5:2
Moravian Prayer: Heavenly Father, it is through Christ that we can come to you. We thank you for sending Christ to give his life for us, reconciling us to you. We respond in faith and obedience. Amen.
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