The government may have put social distancing and Covid restrictions in place, but we see 4 banks of flower boards congratulating this young couple on their wedding. (Fewer than 1/4 of the boards are below). At least a few of the parents are professor or doctor. Distinguished group. The place is packed.
In our own garden, the gardenia plant offers non-stop blooms.
The porch has settled into its new configuration with the second-hand benches. The old pleather sofas with their ripped seats and arms are being enjoyed in homes elsewhere.
Saturday, (February oops) March 6, 2021
This is the second time today that I've written "February" instead of today's month. I think my mind balks at the thought that our faith community hasn't met in person for a year. Next week, we'll being starting into Year 2 of the pandemic for us.
Last year at this time, W was in the USA for business. I had Covid, hacking a dry cough to the point of lung pain, with severe headaches. I couldn't catch enough breath to walk around. Smell and taste disappeared within weeks and took a while to return. Thank God that's over, though I did get a good rest.
This year, praying for people, calling friends and acquaintances, and working at the office keeps me grounded.
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Of course we start the day with a 6am walk. Lots of people - masked and unmasked - stroll by, getting their exercise as we are.
I'm always happy to upgrade our surroundings, right? The BIC kitchenette is clean and tidy, thanks to IbuS's work yesterday. Under the shelves, there are cans of Porsche-red spray paint. How convenient!
I find a few empty cardboard boxes that can't be thrown out yet. The plastic packing sheets inside are perfect for painting the re-purposed cookie pails that now hold put coleus plants. Bright red! So painting is my first job of the morning - but I decide against painting them all.
Don't you love a pop of color? I sure do! (And sometimes less is more.)
"Watch out with coleus; those have to go in the shade," says my mom when she calls. She's a self-taught master gardener. Everything thrives in her garden - flowers, vegetables, shrubs ...
I remember planting coleus under trees and along house foundations on the West Coast. Here, they grow tall and colorful in full tropical sunlight or partial shade. They'll have morning shade on the office porch. That should work.
While the pails dry, I host a few morning meetings and a discussion about Easter options. W meets me for a good lunch at Kalpa Tree. This week, most meals come with rice, though we can't eat the big portions on our plates. We pass some to table companions, who are happy to have more. So. Much. Rice! It's the Java island staple.
We see something new to us: a gender reveal party. The very pregnant mom-to-be and not-happy sibling are dressed in white like brides. I wonder if it's a boy or girl! We leave too soon to find out. God bless you, baby!
In the afternoon, I'm privileged to meet with a young friends before heading home at 3:30. "Do you work every Saturday?" she asks. Since we walk in the hills on many Thursday mornings, we catch up on Saturdays.
Pizza night is today, too! It's turned cold (70o) and so our guests come from a swim nearby and relax on the porch until it's time to eat. Our pizza style is to let you choose your own toppings (which I prep that day). W starts on the pizza dough on Tuesdays, let's it rest for a half-week in the fridge, and then lightly pre-bakes the disks before guests arrive.
Our friends planned to order in desert, but it's raining and yucky. I pull out bananas and coconut muffins instead. Good enough - in fact, pretty tasty. The muffins are from my friend today. And two bananas are more than enough for all of us. Look at those monsters, shared by our very kind neighbor.
We play a few rounds of a family game before our guests leave.
Sunday
"Cmon, let's walk faster!" I urge W, who is on a slow casual walk with the dogs. I snag the leash and click to the dogs, "Hey, let's pick up the pace!" Alone, I usually walk a mile in 18-19 minutes. I check my tracker. Almost 21 minutes so far, before we do doggie-do stops ... nope I'm not imagining things - we're dragging.
"Are you upset?" W asks. Nope. But a relaxed stroll doesn't clear my brain like a fast clip does. There's a lot on my mind this morning.
The fern wall is drooping as I walk into the gate. I spend an hour puttering and decompressing from the walk. I fasten the ferns to the grid, water the plants, and feed the birds and dogs. A little "farm-work" goes a long way for relaxation. Breakfast is two banana muffins from the freezer (thanks, IbuA) and one huge banana = breakfast. Tea of course, is in hand by the morning gathering.
Like most Sundays, W and I lead the BIC Online community at 9am. This week, we examine the blessing of God on Abraham and his children, Ishmael and Isaac. Even today, the huge families of those two sons have global influence and bring blessings to the world. You can catch the talk by clicking here.
The story is mostly about waiting. Abraham has to wait 25 years for his promised son. How about you? When you have a promise or a plan in view, does it kill you to wait for it to happen? I'm wired to act as soon as I have direction, so sometimes "the time between" vision and reaching the goal feels like the longest time ever. I'm waiting for 2 things this week ... so far.
#1 We'll be adding this little guy to our troop. He's retiring from the breeder's to our home on Thursday. His collar and crate arrived yesterday. Elizabeth sends me a picture of his new haircut (below). His show-style lion cut (first pic) has to go; our groomer can't maintain it.
Check out Elizabeth's website if you're looking for a good companion dog ... there's nothing like the adoration of a poodle to make you feel appreciated!
#2. I also have to wait all weekend to finish the office porch. In my mind, it's done and I'm already sitting in the morning shade. My work is resting on a table. In reality, we don't have the car this weekend so the chairs, table, and plants have to wait for Monday. I sweep, spray for ants, and have done my part. Now I wait.
"Big deal," you may think. "So you wait 2-3 days. Or a week. How long is that?"
However, these small patience-builders are big to people with my go-go-go temperament. It's God's way of pausing us, of inserting a comma into our lives. I don't pray for patience - why would I want more waiting? Instead, I think, "Monday and Thursday are coming. Will be great. Hang in there."
In what areas of your life do you need to know that God is in control? That your patience will have a rich reward? Trust God to work it all out.
Monday
Walk. Office. Meetings. A typical Monday morning. PakG delivers chairs, a table, an indoor-outdoor rug, and a palm plant from home. He also takes back the cleaning supplies to declutter the kitchenette.
I arrange the seating and have my meetings outside in the warm shade. Nice perch, right?
Read more:
*Stand up and tell them everything that I command you. Jeremiah 1:17
*For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:1
*We do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord. 2 Corinthians 4:5
Moravian Prayer: Dear Jesus, may we always proclaim you as Lord to all the earth. Because of your sacrifice on the cross, we are made victorious. Christ and him crucified remain our confession of faith. Amen.
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