Settling back in - with wonder

Thursday, April 9, 2026

Today is balcony day. That means a thorough sweep of the corners, washing and oiling furniture, and clearing drains. 

The balcony was the roof covering a terrace until we cut in a door from the second floor and put a railing around it. Last week in Bali, we saw a few ideas for the floor: do we paint it black and white? or cover it with small light-colored gravel? (your opinion?)

The concrete roof is supported on concrete pillars. After heavy rainfall, leaves plug the drainage holes at each end, creating a deep pond. Water is heavy! yet there is no sagging or deterioration. We're no longer afraid that having people on it will collapse the rooftop balcony.

Our friend Robin left us 2 umbrellas, reminiscent of Balinese island style. W pops them open and sprays away the ant nest in one concrete base. We make sure the canvas is clean and let the sun shine on it for an hour or two. I edit a document in its shade. The mini-forest that takes up half the backyard is a soothing backdrop for focused work.

Before the afternoon rain, we stash the umbrellas and benches in a dry corner. Back inside my office, I am searching my craft shelf when I spot a box labeled "TRIM." What's inside? 

The writing on the label is mine. When incoming stuff warrants a new container, I sort and label it for later discovery. Must have been a while ago that I tossed these strips of lace and beaded edging into a Tupperware container. I've completely forgotten where it came from. (Maybe from Christine? or Elizabeth?)

A small gold strip of beading and bling fits exactly around the shade of a reading lamp. I stretch it just enough to touch at the back seam, with not a millimeter to spare. What a happy find!

OOh, look! Will the bigger strip of glitz in black and gold work for the lampshade covering an ugly ACE Hardware uplight? (The shade? 80% found in IKEA As-Is, years ago.) I keep the glue gun plugged in, attaching the crystals around the base.

After clipping the trim to fit, the remnant goes back into the box for another day. I turn on the light, happy with how it turns out.

The metallic gold lining sparkles. British design magazines are once again full of excessive decor, back to the 1990s. I remember when our Seattle living room had a curved 101-button Victorian sofa (in gold velvet, no less). Our 12'/4m drapes had European floral motifs.

 Our afternoon walk is a bit drizzly but it's a relief to stretch after a day at a desk. The wind broke off a branch, leaving green and blue berries intact between red leaves. What a spectacle of nature's colorway.

Friday
After a morning walk, the dogs get ready for breakfast. They're trained to sit and wait until we release them. Today, kibble is mixed with meat leftovers from the butcher at the expat grocer. They love it!

W heads to Jakarta overnight for meetings. I stay home for the restart of the English program. 

Today's evaluation is whether the volunteers know how to set up the class areas without us at home. They find out where the keys are hung and where volunteer snacks are stashed. It's half the size of the usual program, with many kids sick and some attending activities at their schools.

Keelee's cookies are an ongoing blessing for me. She put scripture stickers on the packets. 

I open the journal from last week and find random paintings on postcards, I played each day with watercolor and Chinese brushes. It took a while to get the right saturation - sure didn't happen on this first attempt.

None of it is precious. This used an eyebrow pencil, a water wash, and a dip into black paint. It's my favorite of the one-a-day fun.

Some gets tossed out and others are left behind.

Working on the Porch, I remember that the yard started like this (below). We planned a playing field for kids, with half left wild for camping. However, while we were away one day, the contractor poured concrete paving paths. It seemed too much trouble to pick them up again, so we planted around them.

"At least no kids will be kicking or hitting balls through our windows," W said, looking at the bright side. 

From the main porch, we have a great view and a good workspace. After 3 months, half the backyard is still treed and half is lawn. The seeds we plucked on a hike have produced +8'/ 3m flowering annuals. The plants will keep growing to about 10'/3.3m and then dry up. By then, they've reseeded. The next batch starts to flower when it is knee high.

The day fills with edits and chores. And ends with a bath.

Saturday
Juno and I walk before coming back to the day's work. It's mind-blowingly relaxing not to plan a Sunday talk, check in with the team about weekend details, or lay out clothing to minimize Sunday morning's decisions.

The morning feels cold. Yesterday I wore a sweater the whole day. Today may be the same. PakG calls in sick so is not here to help set up for the kids or move the car. Ugh. Good thing that I didn't go to Jakarta. We pray that the rain holds off until the children leave. Yesterday's deluge arrived at 2:30PM; it was so fierce and heavy that there's no way we could have held classes.

About half the usual number of kids show up. There's a big school swim meet and a bunch are sick. I get to hug the volunteers and pass out cookies. Answering our prayers, God keeps the tropical downpour away until everyone is safely home. We show the team where the staff snacks and keys are stored.

It's exciting to watch the splashdown of the moon capsule off San Diego. What wonders the universe holds. How generous of God to add curiosity and mental acuity to the gifts He invested in humanity! He could have made us dumb, blind, and unaware but instead, He chose to explore and delight in his creation ... with his creatures.

Some of us have more courage than others. The upswing into the helicopter from the Front Porch raft would be enough to make me feel faint. Never mind floating around the moon while doing math and science experiments, before entering the atmosphere at a blistering 5000oF at 30X the speed of sound. Boom! Not for me. But I like to cheer others as they succeed in their adventures!

W comes back in early evening.

Sunday
We smell the new gardenias along the street and notice a double flower nearby

On the shoulder of the street, these roots hang from the branches above. The growing tips are red but the long strands have paled to creams and beiges.

The gardens of #WaroengEthnic are mature. The lacy basin at the bottom of a fern anchors it to the tree.

I'm in the mood for spices so lunch is Rendang (beef stewed in spices and coconut milk) with Sambal Hujo (hot sauce) on the side. Yum.

While we were away, a huge tree fell on the roof of a coffee shop on the next street.

We want to support them, so W orders coffee and a sampling of donuts.

They have a marvelous gardener (look at that Spanish moss!) and a relaxing courtyard, 20'/6m lower than the street.

Fragrant verbena lines the path to our table.

Monday
On the morning walk, we spot the last blooms on a pod. One-day flowers start to open at the bottom of the clump. Over the course of a month, petals emerge higher and higher until they last ones reach the tip.

After meetings, it's "off to work" on the Porch. Feeling blessed.

Read more:
* And the LORD stood beside Jacob and said, “Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land.” Genesis 28:13,15

* Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers? Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death. When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. Psalm 94:16-19

He said to them, “When I sent you out without a purse, bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “No, not a thing.” Luke 22:35

God, you love us all the time: when we are traveling and when we are home. The trials of the road tend to sweep from our minds your gift of peace. Forgive our forgetfulness. Restore your joy to us. Amen.