peacefulones: Latitudes and curiosities as W turns 65

Friday, June 10, 2022

I read that most Americans have no idea of latitudes: apparently Rome and NY are similar lattitudes. I have to check that out since I know little American geography myself.

Yes indeed! It's true. I did not know that. Did you?

For my morning class, I study in the LR nook. The printed linen tablecloth is a relic from my mom's house. I like its cheery pattern.

I push the nook sliders all the way open to enjoy the fresh mountain air flowing through the house.

In late afternoon, W and I walk to a student foodcourt for rice and chicken. It's delicious. Can you imagine finding such "politically incorrect" marketing anywhere other than near a university?

Our assistant cracks open her knee on the uneven pavement of a nearby street. One of the ongoing adjustments to Bandung is that you have to look where you're stepping at all times. Height, pitch, potholes, missing chunks ... the variety on sidewalks or roads is a normal part of putting one feet before the other.

Hati-hati! (watch out). I've fallen before, scrapingwrist and knees on potholes, missing curbs, etc. The last time, it took months to heal completely.

My hair feels like it's sagging. Chop chop, I make 6 or 7 cuts, holding the hair away from my head during a shower. Later when I dry off, I check the mirror. Yeah, it's pretty straight at the bottom and angled up at the back. = A quick fix back to length.

Saturday

Doesn't feel like a weekend except that there are no helpers at the house. I raid the garden greens for BIC flowers tomorrow. Papaya, bamboo, plus other leaves ... what abundance. I'll pull the flowers in place tomorrow in the hall.

It's a tall wild arrangement, which suits a commercial space. The vase is 30." How will we get it there?

A few discarded bamboo shoots renew the 2-week-old rose bouquet in the entry. When I moved the Nepalese cloth under last week's flowers, hundreds of tiny ants poured out from under it. I dunked the cloth and beasties in the sink but it has taken all week to dry. Apparently the lace edging was glued around a scrap of woven fabric. Maybe the ants were feasting on the glue? I pat the lace back down and it reseals in place as it dries.

W puts our bed up on risers. Getting up in the morning is easy, that's for sure. Put your feet on the floor and you're standing. Seasonal storage bags go underneath. The grey bench goes from almost-level with the bed to short. The ancient white quilt won't be dragging on the floor anymore so the Roomba can run around the bedroom unhindered.

We move the laser-cut metal screen from the DR to outside. I have other plans for it. It's nice to prop art on the ledge again.

On the porch table, the water and garden clippings in the pot are changed every few days. There's so much foliage to choose from.

After some morning meetings downtown, W waits at the airport for Kristi to fly back to Bandung. He buys me beautiful woven cloth from Papua. Kristi gets a few pieces of her own.

We get word that the 22-yr-old son of the West Java governor has been found near a dam in Switzerland. He was swept away while swimming in a river 2 weeks ago. His dad flies back to Europe to retrieve the body. Eril will be buried in Bandung on Monday, though Islamic death rituals have already been completed.

Pray for the family. What a loss. Below: Pak R. Kamil posed with our friends and us a few years ago. We've prayed for him ever since.

Sunday

It's an early morning. Alice has arranged for 2 helpers to set up since she's off her feet. Ouch.

The garden "wild things" look ok as BIC flowers.

After a few handfuls of raw treats, it's time for the Gathering. How we love these people! and this Family.

I chat quickly with my mom, who is enjoying supper with my brother Norm in Canada.

Texts and WA have been flying back and forth all week: Shibli and his friends plan to celebrate W's 65th birthday today. They've involved kids, youth, and more. W has no idea. I tell the planners:. "I'm going to enjoy it. If something might be iffy, you can always run it past me."

So they do it all and it's a delight - a good memory of becoming a senior for W.

We cheer for the skit about his "brother from a different mother" (someone dressed with a white wig and beard.) We flinch at the bangs from a shower of poppers.