"Happy birthday, Levi!" and Christmas cookies

Tuesday, November 26, 2024

Lew's here from Jakarta overnight to work on his dissertation. We have supper together with Alice, who was in his congregation in Jakarta.

I'm trying to fix this sad tree on the porch. The tree itself is a good one but its feet are broken off. W cobbles together a stand. It's been years since someone has pulled it into shape. I unwind two strings of lights - how did anyone wind them up and around that way? I've never seen (or unwound) anything like it. I'm grateful it is short rather than full-sized!

Wednesday

W and I clean the aquariums on the porch every few weeks. Today's the day. Remove plants. Siphon out water. Scrub glass. Add drinking water. Toss in the plants. Done. There are no filters, heaters, or lights needed for the porch bowls. The fish population self-regulates. Sometimes there are more, sometimes less. This Bali handblown glass is 2' (70 cm) tall and sits on wooden tree roots.

Everyone gets a day off from the house. It's another national holiday. Today, regional elections gather votes for governors, mayors, and other local officials. As per law, all posters and promo have been removed 3 days ahead of the vote. What a good idea. 

PakG is a proctor in his village; his team must ensure a rain-proof cover (which collapsed yesterday and had to be rebuilt) and fair voting conditions. They will also count the votes. They've had four days of training to do that.

Lew leaves for home before the great thunderstorm in the afternoon. The rain keeps the gardens green and the wind strengthens the tree trunks. Inside, all is cozy and warm. I put a cup of tea on the wide seat of the chair and curl up to work.

Thursday - American Thanksgiving and Levi's birthday

It's our grandson's eleventh birthday. Wow - don't kids grow quickly? We have no Thanksgiving plans so it's a quiet day. First, I edit W's version of Sunday's talk. Whoever writes it, the other revises it. Then we present it together.

We enjoy the walk in the forest with hiking friends. Veronica is driving while PakG catches up on sleep. Being a voting supervisor is a grueling 24-hours-on-call process.

Above, you can hear the 60'/20m pine branches scraping each other as the wind passes through. Several trees have fallen in the recent storms. We hop over.

Each time we reach the "Dutch forts" in the mountains, I think of young soldier boys holed up against the enemy in such shelters - whether the opposition was the Japanese, Indonesians, or Dutch. The ceilings were scraped out of the mountain rocks. Now their cool concrete walls are covered in graffiti.

Looking out the windows to the tall stone walls, you can almost smell the terror of war.

We're glad it doesn't rain. The weather is perfect: 80oF/27oC, with a slight breeze and 60% humidity. There are almost as many dogs as humans.

After we knock the mud off our shoes, we eat  traditional Sundanese food at Balibu. The eatery is decorated with various shapes of bamboo.

The food is spicy and flavorful. We have lamb kabobs, tofu, and various vegetables.

Coming home, we drive down steep and narrow mountain roads. The city stretches out below. Thunder rumbles as we reach home.

We bring some spicy foods home for the helpers, who are back after their day off. Their chore today is baking Christmas cookies for giveaways and events. They box up dozens of peanut butter cookies and several batches of ginger.

I lounge with a cup of tea beside the Christmas tree as I write newsletters and make lists for tomorrow.

Friday

After a walk, W heads to town for errands. I tackle my work but don't finish editing a dissertation into a book. I'm due at the hall at 11:00. A good group of volunteers is decorating for this first weekend of Advent. Tetty, Titik, and I redo the old Christmas tree with help from Reuben, Lela, and Alice. Daniel and Della are creating beauty on the old stage.

"How old is this thing?" asks a helper as we strip the tree. (Over 20 years old, purchased 4 pastors ago.) Last year, Daniel wired it together and the top half leans only slightly. We turn that part to the wall. Straight-on, it looks ok.

"Why don't we toss it and get a new one?" somebody else asks as we pull off strands of lights, ancient ornaments, and ribbon. It's so dusty that we have to wash the lacquered balls and shake the gold mesh garlands outside. We check the lights. I'd rather spend money on people and worthy projects than a tree ... but it's getting close to being sampah (garbage.) One more year. Please.

I've looked for a tree during post-Christmas discounts for the past 6 years. The price we're willing to pay hasn't shown up yet. When it does, we'll purchase a new tree. Until then, I only buy lights and ornaments on sales. 

Our little red stepladder gives us the boost we need to dress the top. We put it on a table for height, hoping it lasts another season.

PakG has knocked the ripe jackfruit out of the tree by the time I come home in late afternoon, dusty and ready for a shower. After noodles and vegetables, W and I relax with a K-drama. So funny.

Read more:

*O Lord, may you ordain peace for us, for indeed, all that we have done, you have done for us. Isaiah 24:12

*Paul wrote: Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. 2 Corinthians 13:11

Moravian Prayer: Lord, you have restored us and given us your peace through your son, Jesus Christ. We rejoice that your love and peace dwell within us, and we pray that we will be united by having the mind of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Making room for celebration and Good News

Friday, November 22, 2024

Slowly the main room takes shape for Christmas. W spends a few days testing Christmas lights one by one, which takes hours at a time. I'd strip out the sockets and put in new bulbs. He got a deal on hundreds of bulbs after Christmas last year, but he's much more patient than I am.

Someone is getting upgraded internet. We spot young men stringing the wire along the existing cables. They pull a strand, then shimmy up a ladder to fasten it to the next point.

There's a pretty hedge blooming at the Padma Hotel as we walk by.

A satisfyingly domestic day. We try a new recipe of vegan banana bread, cook bean soup, and sauté mushrooms in the kitchen. We're take some rugs up and bring others down. The guys move furniture into place, and the helpers put cushion covers on the Porch benches = between discussions of Sunday's talk, edits of a dissertation proposal, 

and instructions for the new gardener. Look at the lemon tree - dozens of large lemons are ripening.

The "false bird of paradise" are thinned and ready for cutting into arrangements.

Saturday

The tree lights are working so I get cracking on decorating. We walk before a date breakfast at Nara (first in weeks) and break to try a new Chinese-flavored place for lunch. No need for supper!

Daniel and Della come by for Christmas supplies to decorate the hall. W and I shop at the blowout sales after Christmas. We stash the ornaments and garlands away to share the next year.

Della and Daniel are doing a natural theme and want to use one of our 6' tree-trunks, fastened onto an iron base. We had cut the branch off the guava tree years ago and send it to the hall with boxes of decorations. 

Today, as we strip the orchids and bromeliads off the wood, we find a dried-out visitor who got stuck in the roots. 

Cute - I pull him off carefully and lay him inside on a fall arrangement. Someone will find him if they look closely. (My design philosophy is to have a few "What's that!" moments when people look around a room.)

The bargain surprise from last year is 4 strands of 5-meter/16' lights. They turn out to be 15+ meters/50' long! One string covers the nook, tops the bookshelf, and crosses the living room. The other lights up the opposite side of the room.

Sunday

After a broken night's sleep, it's off to the hall for IES Bandung. Today we wrap up the year's study in the book of Acts. It's a Round Table Sunday, with table settings and a stunning arrangement by Titik.

It's also team meeting, so we host lunch when we're done.

Monday

Alice comes for supplies for Art Sunday. Group leaders buy supplies for various projects but we're not a rich congregation. So, rather than toss things, we store them and reuse them. I finish decorating while W is leading a study. He and PakG haul the empty boxes back up to storage.

This 70cm/30" Indonesian pebble game was a gift from Ruth a few years ago. She filled it with flowers and ribbons. We display it at home and at the hall during the Christmas season: such beautiful carving, and a creative idea.

We scored some fake candles last year, too. They act as night lights.

We meet a couple for lunch and head toward town to run some errands. We stall in traffic on a busy street and make a U-turn for home. While I'm: "We're out; let's get it done and over with," W prefers to make another trip tomorrow when traffic  is lighter.

Tuesday

I run into Christine in the third shop. She may become a new Thursday walker, who knows? Two blond heads in one store? That's utterly rare here.

This is the sum total of Christmas wares in a huge department store: 2 one-sided racks. Christmas is not a big deal for most people in a Muslim-majority country, especially with decorating and gift-giving. That said, our guests enjoy it with us.

Read more:

*“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” said the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. Revelation 1:8

*No one shall be found among you who practices divination, or is a soothsayer, or an augur, or a sorcerer. For whoever does these things is abhorrent to the Lord. Deuteronomy 18:10, 12

*O my people, what have I done to you? In what have I wearied you? Answer me! Micah 6:3

*Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not realize that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? Romans 2:4

*Sober up, as you rightly ought to, and sin no more, for some people have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. 1 Corinthians 15:34

Moravian Prayer: God, help us to honor your word and to follow your righteous way. We know that our sins are forgiven through Jesus Christ, but we need your help to live holy and righteous lives. Let our lives be a testimony to Christ, so that others will come to know you.

We pray for you to rule over our lives. We give thanks to you for caring for us in sending your son, Jesus Christ. Your kindness and patience have led us to repentance and to our Savior. Teach us to show your kindness and patience to those around us. In Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

Dinner-and-a-movie takes a week ...

 Monday, November 18, 2024

It's a work day. Casey-dog goes home after his weekend with us. He typically hangs out with the big dogs or snoozes nearby. We walk and have a few meetings before I crush through to-do lists. Later in the afternoon, W and I watch My Penguin Friend, this month's movie choice. The plot loses me a few times but we think our guests will enjoy it.

Look at this handwoven ceiling at the neighbor's gazebo. Indonesians are endlessly inventive with natural materials. Most homes have barbed wire or spikes around the property to deter thieves.

At night, Michael Hyatt's 5 Blind Spots webinar provides some clarity on my vision and leadership pauses. I am up 10:30 p.m. - 2:00 a.m., which isn't ideal.

Tuesday

It feels good to walk and stretch our legs. I leave with Gypsy-dog at 5:30 a.m., while W and Juno-dog join us for the second round. The night's rain tore leaves from the trees but has abated. I choose shoes carefully; the soles need to grip mossy and slick pavement.

We move the living room to movie night mode. I visualize where to store the shelves for the next 2 months.Christmas decorating starts when we clean up from movie night. If the guys don't have to move those heavy teak shelves twice, they are happy.

The helpers stash the grocery haul and bring down serving dishes. They'll cook rice, make mayo eggs, and chop the fruit and salad when they arrive tomorrow at 3:00. IbuS will also bake her famous cheese balls - if we skip those, we hear complaints.

Several of our team members are ill so we meet online instead of in person. The heavens let loose with such a great downpour that meeting in person would have been unwise anyway. A few times, the lightning strikes a mere second before the thunderclap.

Wednesday - Movie Night

W has the water for spaghetti boiling when I start work at 5:00 a.m. We've added roasted rosemary potatoes since it's a crowd favorite. The kids are hungry when they come and I'm cooking:

• 5 kg (11 lbs) slow-roasted baby potatoes with herbs
• 3 kg (6 2/3 lbs) spaghetti with tomato sauce
• 3 kg creamed spinach
• 200 breakfast sausages in curry sauce
• 200 meatballs in black pepper sauce
• 150 spicy chicken wings

For the first time, there are 2 convection countertop ovens, which halve the baking time. The sauces bubble between steaming spinach, boiling spaghetti, baking sausages and chicken, boiling and baking bakso (meatball-ish rounds). I rinse off the wooden spoons and pan liners in the spaghetti water, ending up with a thick rich broth. I'm done before 9:00 a.m. though the potatoes spend most of the day in the slow-cooker.

I love our monthly MasterMind group. A small group meets online this morning, so I listen in as I work. I finish cooking, shove the roaster with sausages into the oven for reheating later, and wrap the other hot items in blankets. I clean up and turn off the ovens before my turn to ask the group a question. I love that we pray over each other, too.

My first thought as I sit down is, "Where's a notebook?" because, as always, they offer things to ponder. My plan is to process their counsel as I relax this afternoon. I jump back into the kitchen at 5:00 p.m. to finalize prep, leaving space for the helpers to get most of their stuff ready.

W goes for a walk and then sets up sound and projectors during the late morning and early afternoon. He makes a last-minute dash for cookies stored in the office fridge. Almost 80 people have signed up, but we expect about 50 to show up.

W sets up sound and projectors during the late morning and early afternoon. He makes a last-minute dash for cookies stored in the office fridge.

The gardeners are on their third day of restoration. The overgrown yard is unrecognizable. The roses are trimmed, lawns are edged, and weeds are being pulled out by hand in the flower beds = flowers are still blooming, not mass-mowed. They've had to pause during daily thunderstorms but they're making good progress.

Today, the guys are working in the back section. The chomp-chomp of the hedge clippers alternates with the slap of branch clippings hitting the ground and the weed-whacker (in lieu of a mower). It's never looked so good - "like a hotel garden," says PakG. Yeah, these guys know what they're doing. What a relief, after fighting to be understood by other yardmen.

It's pouring rain in the afternoon and evening. The southern part of the city is under 50-100 cm (3') of water as the river overflows its banks.  45-50 enthusiastic and rain-soaked guests show up anyway. 

They enjoy dinner and the movie -

and make new friends. Many hang around until almost 11:00 p.m. 

There are a lot of newcomers but we love to see our longtime "kids" when they show up. 

We fall into bed late.

Thursday

Of course we're still waking up early: I at 4:30, W at 6:30.  It's time to refresh for Christmas. I strip pillow covers and slipcovers from sofa and chairs before the hike. It's timeto refresh for Christmas. I write the long list of cleaning chores for the helpers. The furniture stays in my office until the tree is up, other carpets have been brought out of storage, and the ornament boxes are downstairs. Last season's art is collected, carpets rolled up, and fall decor goes away.

With the unpredictable weather of rainy season, the hiking group decides not to drive into the mountains. We live on a mountain anyway so W and I walk down the hill with Veronica to do two loops of the university's Treetop walk. Riverside property is not desirable here.

My sandals slip around on the mossy paving but luckily there's a railing beside the steepest parts of the elevated boardwalk. When cars park on the sidewalk, we walk around.

This little guy found an unlucky end.

We eat brunch at #Delaros, a Sundanese buffet, before walking uphill to our place. It's 12,000 steps and almost 5 miles, which is not bad. Our watches record 100 meters (310 ft) of total elevation, without noting ups and downs. Not strenuous but a nice walk to clear the body and mind of yesterday's efforts.

By the time we get home, the women have cleaned the movie night residue and done several loads of laundry. The sofa has a red slipcover and Christmas boxes are in the main room. I hand over red covers for the pillows. A few days of work, and it will be festive and tidy. Now ... not so much.

Read more:

*Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord. Isaiah 50:10 NKJV

The darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 1 John 2:8

Moravian Prayer: Jesus, you are the light of the world that casts out the darkness. You light the way that you would have us travel in our lives. We pray that your light will shine through us and draw people to you, Lord. In your name, we pray. Amen.

Garden gone crazy

Friday, November 16, 2024

We've had a full week with a family birthday ("Love you, Rebekah!"), grandkids visiting Grandma, and a mountain hike. There's been meaningful work, of course. Can't get better than that, right?

A friend has recommended a gardener to replace the yardman who quit. He comes by for an interview and tours the yard. He says it will take him and an assistant almost a week to clean out the mess. Plants grow quickly here. Gardens that are not weeded, hedges that aren't cut, and trees that aren't pruned are prime territory for snakes and other wildlife. The flowerbed grew knee-high weeds in the month we were away.

I make my fastest-ever (focused) run to the grocer before Jakarta weekend traffic arrives on the hill. I can choose - wait for lunch to be over and get stuck in traffic? Or make a run that will overlap few minutes into lunchtime.

I decide, "Go now." (My default mode: "Do it now, don't put it off.") PakG drives me there and back in a half hour - I know just what I need for my vegan weekend menu.

Eating mostly a plant-based menu means getting creative with cooking. Veronica got a recipe for "ham" sausage from a friend. She's a vegetarian and said it was delicious. She has some ingredients and I have the rest. We'll try making it together. 

The big accomplishment this week is getting our 5-year visa papers. We're one year in, so there are 4 years left on the documents. That's ok; it's something less to think about next year.

W and I finalize the weekend talk. One of my jobs is to get Advent moving. It starts in 2 weeks! so I delegate some parts, research others, and am content with the process. (2 weeks! For a 'plan ahead' person, we're down to the wire, eh?) 

Tiny ants run across my screen. I squish them instead of letting them go into the keyboard or ports to build their little communities.

Saturday

After a walk, I go into the garden to update Sunday's arrangement. We go from this (by Titik, last Sunday):

to this. I discard drooping sunflowers and wilted roses and tuck in additions from the garden and weeds from the street.

As always, Titik's beautiful sculpture turns into a wild thing. Red roses can last most of the week, unlike white and yellow ones that fade within days. There's all kinds of stuff in there. I like the back almost as much as the front.

I spend the morning writing weekly posts for our New Normal photo and paragraph. I ran out of posts in September ... now we're good through May 2025.

I still take photos of weird and wonderful things around us. These elicit not even a blink from locals but still seem strange to our former selves. For example, look at this moth - in her party dress?

Want the weekly pic? PM me or comment on this post, leaving an email to sign up. (I delete email addresses after adding them to the subscriber list.) I hope you enjoy them. I promise "no spam," but you can unsubscribe any time, too.

W heads down the hill for his $1 haircut. There are leftovers for lunch.

Sunday

Unusually for us, we're up early enough to walk a loop, eat breakfast, shower, and talk to our moms before 7:00. Then it's off to the hall for prayer and a wonderful morning with IES Bandung.

After a board meeting, we have lunch at Ethnic. Supper is at a new-to-us hole-in-the-wall Chinese place that's been going for decades. Our friends are foodies, so we always eat well when they choose an eatery.

Monday

It's rained and the flowers are dripping.

A huge stump will disappear in a few months, rotted by rain and eaten by ants and termites.

Overhead, the trumpet vines look fragile but they're toxic to pets.

The yard cleaners come to erase a month of unrestricted tropical growth in the garden. Whew. With movie night ahead, it's time to straighten up. The buzz of the weed-whacker is matched by the smell of mown grass and the swish of the broom that removes clippings from the lawn. The mosquitoes are so bad that they smoke the yard to get rid of them.

Read more:

*Heaven and the heaven of heavens belong to the Lord your God, the earth with all that is in it. Deuteronomy 10:14

[At the birth of Jesus, the angels said:] Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors! Luke 2:14

*John, [the disciple of Jesus writes] to the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

“Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:4-8

Moravian Prayer: Creator God, we praise you for your awesome creation; the heavens and the earth all belong to you. You have given us life and our lives belong to you. You have given us your peace and we pray for your peace upon this earth. All glory be to you, God. Amen.