Just a color dot away ...

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Most of the yard is tidied up though some of the chores on the list are unfinished. I pick up the huge leaves that drift into the garden from the neighbor's tree; they get tossed onto the driveway for disposal into the compost heap. It rains nearly every day again - helpers and dogs sit it out under cover.

Little ants scurry across the table where I write. They're on the bathroom floors, the kitchen counters, and in our sugar jar. Busy busy busy. (They and I are at war.)

Thursday

We drive up to the mountains for our weekly hike. Gypsy does something to his back leg and begins to limp. W walks him back to the car. We can't see anything wrong so likely he tore his nail or has a slight sprain. When I touch his foot gently, he doesn't pull it away but he hops around without putting pressure on it.

It's one of our best forest walks. We take a picture before everyone gets sweaty and muddy. Angie explores new trails in the same old forest - there are a few hills in 7 km of clean air and green. W catches up to us. Nature walks are refreshing for the soul.

I stop a few times when my heart rate climbs over 165; the energy drains out of me until the rate drops. Then off we go again.

Many trees were felled by the windstorms a few weeks ago. The stumps have their own beauty. We climb over and around where the trunks cross the trails.

We have lunch at Sushi Tee.

Friday

The alarm rings in time for a 3am webinar led by a dear friend and trusted mentor. Gail speaks on being present to God, on making space for the soul to hear his voice.

I put some drops of acrylic on canvas so I can focus.

After scraping a credit card across it a few times, I let it sit. I don't like starting with a blank canvas, no matter what happens after the base coat.

After the morning's work and calls, lunch is the usual. I start with a stack of salad and sprinkle a half-cup of rice on top.

Up to a cup of cooked vegetables goes on that.

And if there's meat, a few small sausages or shredded chicken top it off. There has to be sambal (hot sauce) on the side. "What are you doing?" I've been asked, when people watch the process. Considering what restaurants call their "salad special," my lunches seem pretty tame.

An hour at language school offers many new words. IbuE uses different terms as we review the stories from last term. Lucky me. I learn a second word for merry-go-round and the words for "time" or "a moment."

W's had a headache for 3 days. He runs a few errands and takes the day slower than normal. A neck rub eases some of the pressure.

Saturday

It's a full day of writing enews updates, getting ready to speak, reviewing language, and preparing for upcoming meetings. A big mosquito bounces across the table away from me. Here's hoping that the Deet repellent does its job. No one wants mosquito-borne tropical fevers.

The avocados are ripening on the tree. The roses are sending out new shoots. The yellow sulfur cosmos are almost 5' tall, ready for tomorrow's bouquets at Round Table Sunday. I take my office scissor into the garden and snip the flower heads.

There are also red, orange, and pink impatiens. I used to eagerly await the Spring Sale to buy 50c/pots of impatiens at Fred Meyer in early March. Impatiens are weeds here and when there are too many, we pull them out. They easily reseed into pots, in roof gutters, and in the ground.

Into the soaking basin they go. After a few hours, we put them in glass bottles, along with a dill stem. Some day I may go to a flower shop. For now, foraging in the yard makes arrangements easy. One bottle may not be impressive but 10 will look pretty, placed around the hall.

Read more:

*Lord, plead my cause and redeem me; revive me according to your word. Psalm 119:154

*Whoever is steadfast in righteousness will live, but whoever pursues evil will die. Proverbs 11:19

*Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6

*The Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3

Moravian Prayer: Lord, we hunger for so many things when our greatest hunger should be for you. Give us the desire to labor for justice and righteousness in the face of the injustices we see all around us.

We are not alone, Lord. You stand with us and you watch over us. Help us to stand with others in their time of need. Amen.

Black paint, holidays, and new guests

Sunday, January 23, 2023 Happy Chinese New Year

We take home the Chinese New Year arrangement and have an afternoon siesta. 

Dr and IbuT pick us up near Green Gate, along with expats who were former residents of Bandung. The 10-minute drive to the dinner restaurant takes 1.5 hours. "Too bad we can't park and walk," we say. But the rain comes and there's nowhere to pull to the side. We wait with everyone else.

One couple arrives at 6pm. We get there at 7:15 but another friend comes at 7:30. She gets the prize for most arduous trip. It takes her 3 hours!!! for a 30 minute drive through horrendous traffic. It's an evening of stories, catching up, and good food.

We enjoy the "waving fish" appetizer. The skin is thin-sliced and placed atop the hot egg and noodles. It sways in the heat as though it is swimming.

I plan the schedule through October for IES Bandung: we'll examine one chapter of Matthew's gospel each week, which will take us most of the year. It's the first book of the New Testament in the Bible. What a challenge to draw out only one or two ideas! The chapters are long and many have several stories in them. We could take years and not exhaust the richness of the life of Jesus.

Tuesday

It is exam day at language school so I can move to the next (beginner) level. Ibu Etsha makes it easy and relaxing. Passed. Yay. We start the phase of telling stories, the next step of learning.

When I get home, the yard man is moving soil from the entry flower bed in preparation for moving the lesung. "It's good soil," he says. He saves it to the compost heaps of trimmings from a tropical garden.

IbuS scrubs the window that's been hidden behind the plants. She's quick: the water on the glass evaporates in minutes.

W scrapes old glue off the sides of the windows (from who knows what - construction 50 years ago?) He uses a razor blade along one edge - and then decides to do the whole window. It sparkles! before turning cloudy again. Maybe the glass is old.

It's easy to overlook local finishes or tropical decay until you move something. Then all of a sudden, glue, dirt, or rough edges are sitting in front of you. My inner "German" is happy when that's gone.

PakA is handy! The person who last painted the planters splattered white across the black base. The old paint is stained from dirt and wear. There's black paint in the shed so PakA paints the whole thing black, including the entry planters. That makes the lesung even more striking.

I suggest doing the same to the grubby porch railings so they 'disappear' into the garden. W asks me to wait a week: he has to think it over.

IbuA remembers grinding rice in a lesung in the padis (rice fields.) The women also made music for weddings and other events by hitting the empty trough with strong sticks. Listen here to the inventiveness of what wood on wood can make. Indonesians use what they have - bamboo, wood, clay, and natural paints - in their art and celebrations.

I check the upstairs bedroom at lunch: it's dusty and there are books and other things in the desk. Oops. I alert IbuS to get it ready for guests, open the doors to air out the room, and take a package of mothballs out of the drawers.

After lunch, the team meeting is online. In mid-afternoon, Roberto, Wina, and 2-yr-old Ezra arrive from the airport. (Thanks for pickup, Josh!) They unpack upstairs and start to settle in. Over a cup of tea, Josh updates us on his plans for the future before heading home to the next city.

Supper together at Nara is delicious. The sky is overcast as we walk home - it's half-rainy season. Some days we have rain. Others we don't. We're spared and make it home dry and safe despite the thunderclouds overhead.

Wednesday

We walk the mile-loop with our new guests and drop the dogs back at the house. Then W and I walk up to Nara for our date breakfast. This table, set up to barbecue in the center or hold plants (when there are no live coals) is a great idea.

We sit on the Porch to read the upcoming talk for Sunday. I make a few calls and enjoy a visit from Laurel, complete with freshly-baked cookies. In some seasons, the yard is lush with abundant greens.

At other times, the garden is full of reds, yellows, and pinks. The butterflies hover across the flowers.

This bird-of-paradise flower reminds me of old teeth when it starts to fade.

The animals are restless with the incoming storms. Gypsy puts his head and front feet on the tiles of the living room. He's not allowed inside. This is his compromise.

PakA catches the canary in its cage and trims its nails with a nail clipper. He's put the budgies in the big cage where they flit from branch to branch. The first time they were in it, they huddled together on the perches, frightened by the expansion. This time ... they make themselves at home.

W's off to a hospital visit while I edit and do other chores.

Read more:

*You in your mercy have led forth the people whom you have redeemed. Exodus 15:13

*The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1

*There is none like you, O Lord; you are great, and your name is great in might. Jeremiah 10:6

*No one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:11

*Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. 1 Peter 3:18

Moravian Prayer: Lord, keep us grounded in your love and aid us in the task of building opportunities for all to abide in your grace.

Living Redeemer, your sacrifice was for all, whether we chose to recognize you or not. Keep us among those who humbly remember and live in response to such unbelievable love. Amen.

Bronze birds, a rice trough, and a stone wall

 Friday, January 20, 2023

Over 1700 blog posts. That's what's sitting in this blogspot repository. That's a lot of writing, whether anyone reads it or not. I went back to read some posts from 2012 and 2013, ten years ago. 

I sit on the porch, inhaling the scent of the gardenias by a fish pond (recycled from an enormous cracked flower pot.) Dozens of fish swim to the surface when I toss in fish food.

We walked this morning, admiring the red palm that flourishes at the neighbor's.

We looked in wonder at the wall being built stone by stone in the last few months.

First, workers cleared the plants from the edge of the street and put in a kind of sidewalk. Behind it is a pretty steep yard.

Then they dug a long trench in the ground, filled it with foundation rocks, and began to build a stonemason's art.

It was fascinating to see it start to grow. The base is thick! (at least a meter / 3' wide.)

I popped my head inside the gate to admire the flat front surface and the wall sloping toward it.

Quite astonishing at 3-meters (9+ feet) high. And beautiful, don't you think?

Now they've dug another trench for the side wall. I like construction and the hopefulness of something new emerging.

The beautiful gazebo in the neighborhood park has rotted away - consumed by termites and ants. It seems the neighbors have given up: they placed logs for seating in the space. When it's sunny (most of the day), it's too hot to use so the park is empty.

Saturday

We walk and make some calls. W heads to town, taking Wolter, Fennelien, and baby down the hill for a walk along the river.

There are endless paved paths between houses, along with dirt trails. (The condition depends on how much the neighborhood council skims from allocated funds.) Once you explore and lose yourself a few times, you get the gist of where you are.

The canary and lovebirds chirp on the porch as I review language and work towards Lent. Pak G sprays the birds with the garden hose, giving them an instant shower. They preen and sing.

For relief from words, I pull a commemorative trophy from a speaking engagement out of its glass box. I replace it with a bronze bird and Bali driftwood. (The glass bowl on the wood shattered in transit but the wood remains.) It's a mix of nature and industrial: wood, metal, and glass. That's just enough creativity to get me back to language review.

In the afternoon, PakG and his friend with the little pickup truck get the Sundanese lesung (antique rice trough) from a house on the next hill. It caught our eyes during a walk last year. It's in good condition for its age. The bull's head was cleanly broken off at some point but nailed back on.

It's HEAVY hardwood, 3 meters long (9'). "No need to use soap or oil to clean it," says PakG. "What it needs is brushing many times and then the wood will shine again." I tell him to start on it when he has time.

"More stuff for an eventual garage sale," sighs W.

"It will be amazing," I promise him. We will line it against water before we add plants and set it near the entry.

The groomers make the dogs beautiful again @$15 for 2 poodle coats. I'll have to trim off the back of Bailey's "helmet cut" to round his head but that's a small price to pay.

Sunday - Happy Chinese New Year ("Gong Xi Fa Cai!" to our Chinese friends)

W and I speak together at IES for the first time in a few weeks. It's easy. Conversational. We're talking about how God brings his light into our darkness, with 2 stories from scripture. Listen here if you want (20:00)

I spotted the top of a palm tree in someone's garden compost on Friday's walk and slung it over my shoulder. I throw it into the kitchen sink to soak until time to use it.

Sure enough, it fits perfectly in the 28" (72 cm) vase. A 5' stem of "bird of paradise," left over from our forest walk 10 days ago, is still red, It slides between the palm fronds. The red pussy willows were wrapped up 4 years ago after a Chinese New Year bouquet faded. Together, it becomes a simple tall bouquet of red and green.

At Community Table, we chat with several new arrivals to Bandung. Groups of people sit around and chat. Watching people making friends, discussing their lives, and praying for each other gives us great hope for the family of God. He is at work among us, from every tribe and nation.

Some join us for lunch at #NaraPark, enjoying Indonesian soup, mushroom pizza, a burger, and Japanese bento boxes. It's all good - and the blackberry cheesecake dessert pizza finishes it off nicely. Since there are many restaurants here, you can order whatever you have an appetite for. The conversation is useful and warm.

When we get home, the Hangout group is on The Porch, enjoying lunch and games together.

Read more:

*When you make a sale to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor, you shall not cheat one another. Leviticus 25:14

*God looks to the ends of the earth, and sees everything under the heavens. Job 28:24

*It is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost. Matthew 18:14

*We intend to do what is right not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of others. 2 Corinthians 8:21

Moravian Prayer: Lord, you watch over us, and that is no small thing. Help us to remember this when we are feeling alone and lost. Remind us to keep our eyes open for others who may also be feeling lost.

God of justice, give us the wisdom and strength to act with honesty and integrity. Remind us of our responsibility to both you and our communities to hold ourselves to the highest standards of your grace. Amen.

Goodbye Sam, and movie night 2023

Monday, January 16, 2023

Fact: American M&Ms become sticky in the tropical heat. (I'm talking about being out of the fridge for 5 minutes.) I savor the taste between sips of tea; I don't want to gulp them down. There's a different formula for treats produced for tropical climates. When we can, we drag the familiar originals with us from the West.

The hoyas on the porch release their full-bodied perfume each evening. In the morning, the porch smells delightful.

After some meetings, I make a visit to the hospital. The slick tiles and wrinkles in the rubber wheelchair ramp, cut through by metal bars atop a gutter, are not confidence-inspiring. But here, people know to watch out. If they wipe out during a rainstorm when the tiles are as slippery as ice, it's their own responsibility. Plus, they're close to a doctor.

The many legs of The Porch table call me to work. I slot my feet between a set of legs to work on the computer. The set is utterly useful for movie night. W puts the Porch projector in the center round table while the other 8 tables get scattered elsewhere.

Tuesday

I don't have time for a walk. I was awake 12-4a.m. and reset the alarm for 6:30. I leave for language school at 7:30.

For lunch, Sam makes time for us at Ethnic down the hill.

On the walk back to the house, my attention is captured by this tree, which insists on growing through it's been chopped and chopped ... and chopped down some more. Every joint is bursting with new growth.

This cool "twig house" above a neighbor's garage intrigues me, especially in a country where termites abound. How do they keep it from falling apart?

Another neighbor is erecting an addition. The wall along the narrow lane is made of brick, cement, and not-too-straight wood braces. When it's done, it will look professional and strong.

In the afternoon, the IES team is hybrid (online and in person). It's Sam's last meeting in Indonesia. He starts a 4-month journey around the world tomorrow. What a blessing he's been, leading the Porch Hangout and the youth of IES. Each person shares what having him here has meant to us. And we pray over him.

I leave the Porch before 5:00, as guests are ordering supper. I wash dishes from tea, put the baking away, and heat up spaghetti leftovers from last movie night.

Wednesday

Cooking for movie night starts after a 6:00 walk. As Sam leaves, we wave a good team member goodbye with "Godspeed!" and a prayer.

I'm done cooking by 10:00 but the food labels need printing. I always post the menu on the fridge whiteboard so we don't forget a dish in the fridge. The cooking assignments are divided: I prepare meats and veggies; the helpers chop salad, bake cheese balls, cut fruit for dessert with yogurt, and cook rice. (No rice needed today since it is in the special rice bowl ordered from Free&Safe Indonesia's Bowlah pop-up.) 

Two helpers arrive at 3:00 and leave around 10:00 at night after doing the bulk of wash-up and garbage removal. (Thank GOD for helpers!)

The house needs setting up = many questions back and forth. I prefer to do that the day before but it's not always possible. To host such events, portable furniture is a must. So is a clear "runway" in and out of the kitchen. The poodle Bailey sees me standing in the kitchen door and tests it out.

Lunch is fresh spaghetti (whose sauce is too sweet for W so he's left to his own devices.) I catch a short break before a call from Europe. People start arriving at 5:30. The Porch fills up with conversation and laughter.

By 6:30, everyone is ready to circle through the kitchen to fill their plates.

We've streamlined the process and regular attendees instruct newbies on what to expect and what to do.

Even the LR nook is full of chit-chat and food.

Our January birthdays are celebrated - Hessy brings a cake for Liana (and Shibli) to enjoy - and they line up for the photo as a new memory.

Dessert comes during intermission. Jorge explains the volunteer opportunities that have sprung up around his willing heart for incarcerated and under-privileged youth, women, and children. It's amazing. (They're the ones cooking the rice bowls for our meal, too.)

We fall into bed after 11:00pm and are asleep before midnight.

Thursday

It's a walking day. Last week we had 20 walkers. Today we have 4. Typically unpredictable and nonetheless fun.

It's not a long or hard walk (under 5 km or 3 miles), but the unevenness of the trails, sliced up by motorcycles, makes it an ankle and knee workout. Trees have fallen across the trail: the area was closed a few weeks ago due to windstorms. Many branches have been cut away and tossed to the side, but trunks and bigger branches remain. It's an up and down and through and under kind of walk.

Later we eat at a new place: Bask Cafe. The views are wonderful, looking across the valley toward the eastern side of our hill. (We live on the western slope.)

Before long, our plates are empty. V reminds us of the 30% off offer with an instagram post. The cafe grants the discount to us with this shot.

Since it's a soft launch, they don't have all the kinks worked out. "No one will sit in the sun," V notes, looking at the little tables and benches not yet under cover.

Back home, I splurge on a yogurt pop after washing off the trail dust.

At night, after a few hours of sleep, the alarm rings. The trans-Pacific call is with a wonderful mastermind group. As always, they clarify the question I ask and check for peripheral issues that pop up. SO helpful. A great blessing worth getting up for.

Friday

I fall asleep before 1:00 a.m and sleep until 5:30. This weekend is Imlek or Chinese New Year. A sweet package arrives by courier from a friend. It will be steamed and enjoyed.

"If you don't have an entry, make one," say the design blogs. Yesterday's hard work by our helpers puts our entry table back in place, complete with tissue box and guest book.

W and I walk the block with the dogs and have a delayed date-breakfast at #NaraPark. I try a new dish: noodles with smashed chicken but I miss my usual fiery-spice noodles. 

That's ok. Maybe next week. Every morning, and sometimes several times a day, a sweeper works his way across the lawns and driveways to clear off needles, leaves, and garbage. Swish-swish, go the long-handled brooms (sapu lidi).

This is a review week for language learning: on Monday I get tested to advance to the next level. I look back at words and sounds of earlier classes as well as recently-acquired vocabulary. I listen on 1.5 speed (more like normal conversation). Otherwise the recordings put me to sleep.

Read more:

*I treasure your word in my heart, so that I may not sin against you. Psalm 119:11

Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us. 2 Timothy 1:14

Moravian Prayer: Eternal Word, we are grateful that you have given us knowledge of your will for us through scripture and the Holy Spirit. We pray for the wisdom and strength to live out your will daily. Amen.