Mostly garden.

Thursday, August 4, 2021

How we miss the Thursday walks in the mountains. Still, every morning we haul ourselves around the neighborhood. Sometimes Melvi takes the dogs. W and I can certainly walk faster without their stops to "sniff-this and sniff-that."

Because Bandung has 12-12 sunshine (daylight on -> nighttime dark), poinsettias bloom all year long. This one offers a pretty splash of color along the neighbor's house.

We read about the volunteers in a nearby city who bury those who die at home. The hospitals are crowded; city managements are overwhelmed and can't get to all the dead. God bless all those who serve. Every religion has a protocol for burial so volunteers are trained for a variety of funerals. We're still on lockdown.

It's a pleasant afternoon with a visit from a dear friend. She takes a few clipping from the garden and a bag of cookies. Another friend stops by later in the week with two bags of chocolate from her factory. I love sharing.

Friday

My views are similar whether I work at BIC or at home. The long green spaces have places to sit and a table for work. Alas, there are few or no humans hanging around during the lockdown.

above: office; below, home

To mark the transitions of summer, fall, winter, and spring, I track seasonal progress on social media around the world.

In the summer zones (north), the gardens are blooming, the vegetables are ripening, early harvests have been canned or frozen, and people are on vacation. They're having fun, enjoying the warm growing seasons. Soon it will be autumn - already anticipated on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. (borrowed photo below)

In the winter zones (south), friends are shivering, their gardens are asleep, and a few cities are on virus lockdown. "Like prison," say some. "Like a long stay-cation," say those with another perspective.

As we walk past her gate, a neighbor's helper offers us a 15-banana bunch from their yard @$3.50. Why not? That's expensive for locals, a bonus for her, and a bonanza for us. W carries it home and we cut it up to share with others. The bananas are 10-12" long, way too much for us alone - even if IbuA will make banana bread on Tuesday ...

With dry season upon us in Indonesia, there are fewer mosquitoes and pests. We water the garden to keep things alive. The flowers have slowed but not stopped.

It's life-giving - relaxing - to know I won't be torn from the warmth and greens I crave in the next month or two. How I used dread the inevitable pull into the gray cold days of Pacific NW winters. (On the other hand, my college roommate tears up when the last snowfall melts near her place in Alberta. Apparently, God has a settler for every location, eh Bonnie?)

Mind you, the swish-swish of brooms on grass and pavement reminds us that autumn-like leaves fall here all year. There will be a little respite when rainy season starts as new life recoats the trees, but most days we sweep or rake. The bamboo along the wall sheds enough to cover the ground daily. The paper-thin leaves of dry season will be replaced when the rains come. Fresh, lime-green shoots will fill in any gaps and we'll prune off the old stalks to use for garden stakes and poles.

The mosquito-repellent shrubs along the porch rest in dry season. Their leaves emit an acrid almost-citrusy smell when you brush against them.

There are all kinds of stems and leaves in the side yard, too. It's a dumping ground for ailing plants and crumbling pots. The sun breaks down plastic and wood alike. Every once in a while I check it out - what a variety of interesting orchids, climbers, and rooted plants. They're speckled, spotted, striped, and colored. We'd pay a fortune for these kinds of "houseplants" that don't thrive in Seattle or Vancouver. I know. I've tried.

This beautiful red-black pop of color catches my eye.

One shrub produces little pink triangles at the tips of the oddest zigzag-gy stems. This bush grows 4' high until we chop it back into shape.

Along the house, the little leaves planted earlier have grown to 1-2' long. These look amazing in design magazines, a single leaf carefully placed in a vase. Every once in a while I cut one for a side table, too.

Most often, I find scissors and chop back any soft stems that overhang the walkway. We toss them on the compost heap. Such is the abundance of the tropical garden.

The dogs eye me with a sigh when I point my phone at them, like kids reluctant to be caught in yet another photo. It's too warm for them to be active. They've had 2 walks already this morning. The little dog runs in and out, wanting to be near his person but also too curious to stay still. The big yard dogs happily sprawl on the cool porch tiles.

If someone comes to the gate, they'll be in full cry. No one comes in without notice - and only then with an escort. The standard, with her light-chocolate eyes, is ready for grooming again. I haven't brushed her this morning but she's comfortably flopped down for her nap in a shady corner away. Let her be until we're ready.

One house overlooks our yard so we've hung Spanish moss along the roofline. It fills in nicely and blocks the neighbor's views as we sit on the porch.

My mom got a red anthurium for her birthday earlier this week. It's exotic, gorgeous, and expensive in its pot. My brother ordered it from a Chilliwack florist. 

Here, there's a tall hedge of it along the driveway. My friends come by a few times a year to cut the the stems for their floral arrangements. I use them to fill in bouquets, too.

W likes to do some things hands-on as a break from academics. Here, he sprays against mosquitoes. Earlier this week, he borrowed an electric trimmer and clipped the hedges.

Bromeliads are the worst plants for mosquito breeding - their leaves capture and cup water. "Please don't plant tomatoes along with bromeliads," W grumbles. He can't spray one without hitting the other. (Skip that one, pls)

Admittedly, I tied the red-blooming bromeliads to the fragrant frangipani (both are in bloom today, below). The tomato plant and the coleus at the base of the soil? Not my work.

Who knows how plants migrate? Sometimes a bird drops the seeds or there's a stem in the compost that the yardman piles in the pot. When they ripen, we pluck tomatoes for our salads as though that was our plan all along.

Saturday

The biennial national conference of our organization took place in Florida this week.  Some of us missed it because of distance; others because of known exposure to the virus. We see pictures of meetings and meals, of display booths and lectures. People are hugging, chatting, singing, talking, and eating together.

The last time such gatherings took place in Indonesia, Covid-19 flared up across the country. With better nutrition, more vaccinations, and readily-available healthcare, the USA seems better-equipped to deal with any outbreaks. We pray over them all.

This morning, the study group reads the story of Stephen (Acts 6-8). He was a good man who administrated a food program and preached Good News. The religious leaders called him in, listened to his account of God with them, and killed him for it. Very sad.

I'm in the mood to eat but not to cook something elaborate. Has to be quick. While I wrap up a document, W heats a pot with a film of oil in it. My timer's set for 5 min. 

Ting-a-ling ting-along. Ok ok ... to the kitchen to fry breaded chicken found in the freezer. I spot the egg casserole (sausage, peppers, onions, red pepper, cheddar) that we froze yesterday, too. Why not? I pop the egg dish into the microwave, cover the "chicken pan" with a lid so it cooks through, and mix up a salad with sesame dressing - lettuce, pineapple, sunflower, walnuts. 

It's 10 minutes from desk to table. That's today's limit of kitchen patience.

Why do I even bother to serve things separately? I line my plate with salad, cut the chicken into little pieces so they spread evenly on top, and put a piece of egg casserole over that. With a few stripes of Bango sweet soy sauce and sambal (red-hot spicy sauce), it's a feast. 

W tries it separately and then together. Somehow the sunflower seeds, walnuts, and fried chicken, the pineapple and sesame dressing, the crunchy salad and cheesey sausage, the hot sauce and creamy eggs ... are more than the sum of their parts. Every spoonful is uniquely tasty.

DrW sends a special treat around lunchtime: fermented cassava cake. It's hot from the oven and the best one we've tasted to date. There's enough to share with Melvina upstairs.

After making some calls, we rest up. It's been "a week." Most of the food parcels have been distributed. The regular work is mostly done, though W and Angie will go back and forth to finish the tomorrow's talk for BIC Online.

I'm refreshed by a quiet meditation and reflection, a "Thank-you" to God for the beauty of nature.

What are you thankful for today? Look around to notice what's beautiful, noble, lovely, and of good report around you. Who can you bless in the coming week?

Read more:

*I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. Genesis 17:1

*Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands. May those who fear you rejoice when they see me  for I have put my hope in your word. I know, Lord, that your laws are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me. May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant. Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight.

Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble. I wait for your salvation, Lord, and I follow your commands. I obey your statutes, for I love them greatly. I obey your precepts and your statutes, for all my ways are known to you. Psalm 119:73-77, 164-168

*Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

*Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:6-8

Moravian Prayer; Lord, we stand together before you. Show us the way, so that the love with which you created us, may resound throughout our lives as we carry out the calling you put before us. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.