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.