The 2' white lilies along out street have burst into bloom, as happens a few times a year. This smart householder put shallow concrete flowerbeds full of bulbs over the drainage ditch. It's a pretty and practical way to keep motorcycles and cars from hitting his fence as they round the corner.
After a short walk, I cook some mixed grains. They've been sealed in a bag but are 2 years past the expiry date. Are they good or spoiled? (They're delicious.)
Why hasn't someone invented a timed shut-off for individual stove burners? It would be nice to be able to simmer soup or grains and have an auto-shut-off so one can head out for a walk or do other chores. Without that, I have to hang around the kitchen to make sure nothing overcooks. Invention, anyone?
By 7:30 a.m., I'm off to language school. This is my last week before an extended break. I'm looking forward to catching up on vocabulary. And resting my brain.
There's no urgency to enjoy summer weather when it lasts all year. When we lived in Seattle, as soon as the weather warmed up, you had to get outside. Barbecue, beach, sunbathe, walk with the dogs, and get into your holidays! Blink and the two-and-a-half warm months were over and autumn and rainy season were back.
We eat on the porch once or twice most days, overlooking a lush garden. W leads a study this morning while I'm gone, lounging outside on a chaise while the dogs snooze nearby. We're so grateful to be here.
Shitake Mushrooms:
I soak shiitake mushrooms in the fridge overnight because hey develop maximum flavor when soaked at 41oC, according to Japanese studies. I trust Japanese engineering, even in recipes. This morning, I simmer the reconstituted shiitakes with mirin (Japanese vinegar), a small spoon of sugar, and 1 T soy sauce. Scanning the countertop, I spot a jar of black tea leaves. Toss those in as a secret ingredient? Why not? After a half hour or so I turn off the heat. The broth is delicious.
Potato/Mushroom Lunch
As noon approaches, I throw this and that into a big saucepan. Do the same, adjusting the recipe to what's in your cabinet.
1. Fry a slivers of onion, garlic, and green pepper in 1 T olive oil (or vegan butter).
2. Cube 2 small yellow potatoes, a yam, and 2 marinaded shiitakes (idea above).
3. After 5 min, add the potatoes, yam, and shiitakes. Cover.
3. After another 10-15 min, toss in 8-10 chopped black olives, a generous pinch of Bay Seasoning (a mixed salt used for seafood), and a splash of Braggs Aminos (soy sauce).
4. Cover for 10 minutes on med-low heat. It has amazing flavor and a good texture.
While lunch is bubbling away, I sort through the spices that have shifted to the back of the storage cabinet. Ah ... we have vegan mushroom bullion? (And Salmon Salt?! That must be W's acquisition.)
What's that over there? Even the Johnny Salt has clumped together in its bottle. When fresh, the mix is orange.Ours has turned brown. We never experienced humidity damage on food until we moved here.
I spread half a bottle's worth of salt onto a cookie sheet and dehydrate it for an hour. Will only the taste of salt survive? It's worth a try - I ease the hard salty spices off the silicon pan liners, into an empty Costco "No-salt-seasoning" bottle. (Must relabel that!) I crush the clumps as they funnel in through the bottle opening. Then I shake the bottle violently this way and that for about 5 minutes to break it back into sprinkles. Let's see if it's had its day.
Tuesday
The day starts with a walk, complete with a dead (run-over) snake that looks like a poisonous Banded Malayan Coral snake.
The weekly box of sprouts is waiting when I get back. Lunch is a Turkish-style salad.
The afternoon team meeting is at the hall office, complete with cookies. We're close enough to walk there and back. The big old trees create wonderful shade overhead.
Filling a canvas with paint chips or releasing the songs in my head into music drains excess energy. The process of creating feels like work if I'm alone but like play when done with others.
W walks to town while I write a newsletter. I move the piano keyboard out of the living room. into my office. Ah, when the furnishing is rearranged, it's more roomy!
It's my final language class for a few months, with travel and meetings ahead. Ibu Etsha has been a delight and a helpful teacher.
Still, it's a relief to be done for a while. The words have been swirling around my mind without sticking.
Wednesday
I love the weekly insights from the 7:00 a.m. study. The participants are exploring what God is doing in the world and how we are each part of that.
W and I walk to breakfast. Though the weather app says it's partly cloudy, around us it's sunny and 72oF (22oC), perfectly comfortable.
At 9:30, I catch up with Nancy in Penang. "This is more of a debrief than a counseling session," she reminds me. I look forward to it each month. She has a knack for putting her finger on things I need to examine more closely.
Today I'm considering my internal "resistance" to things that bring me joy. I often walk past my paint supplies and canvases even though I enjoy playing with them. I cast a side glance at the keyboard without touching it. And I dread going out for concerts or special events, though I'm happy when I get there. What's that about?
She asks me about expectations. What might people want from me when I'm headed out? Whose voice/s do I hear in my head whenever I feel I should use up resources or making something easy, useful, and fun for me? (Is making art or music about ongoing loyalty to someone?)
Today she asks directly, " For you, what's the point of playing music or making art?" Hmmm. Good question. I always like the results more than the process. The colors and shapes of finished paintings make me happy.
Thursday
Today is the feast day to commemorate Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son. (Read the original story here.) There are chanted prayers most of the night and there's ritual slaughter of goats, sheep, and cattle. Neighbors, families, and others share the expense and the meat to atone for sins committed in the past year.
It's an interesting contrast with the Christian faith, where the sacrifice for sins has been completed by God himself through Jesus/Isa. For followers of Isa, good works and religious observations are done out of love and gratitude for the lovingkindness of God. "Love God. Love others. The whole law is wrapped up in these two commands," Jesus said. He also said he came to fulfill the law.
IbuAde drops by to give me and a few neighbors relaxing massages. That relaxes us and helps her with expenses. We have a few online meetings early in the day. I write another newsletter.
For a few hours in the evening, we meet a bride and groom getting married this weekend. We rarely get a chance to see the sunset.
Friday
We have a few early international calls. For lunch, I make wraps with vegan rendang, curry, and radish sprouts. It's yummy but messy.
Read more:
*I give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness; for you have exalted your name and your word above everything. Psalm 138:2
*You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. 1 Peter 1:23
Moravian Prayer: We bow before you, O Lord, grateful recipients of your steadfast love and faithfulness. We lift your name above all others, unworthy recipients of a new life in Christ Jesus. We thank you and put all our hope in you, our eternal God, world without end. Amen.
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