When we renovated the Project, months of leaves and garbage had piled up outside the place. The gutters were utterly clogged and there was nowhere for rain to go but inside the yard and the buildings.
We asked who was responsible. "If you want to clean it, sure. Please do," we were told. So we did.
I cook too much porridge for breakfast. What can we make with leftovers? Some friends use CHATGPT for recipes at such times, so I give it a try - and get instructions for breakfast bars. Ok! Quickly baked, that's breakfast tomorrow.
The carnation buds, tightly closed when I went into hospital on Wednesday, have opened. It's a cheery welcome this morning.
We're out of homemade peanut butter. Why not use the
Champion Juicer that Christine left behind? I grind raw almonds, raw peanuts, and a few roasted Balinese spicy peanuts, pouring the mixture into the last dregs of a jar of nuts and chocolate that Lisa gifted us from New Zealand. No added salt or oil is needed.
We spot a trellis lying beside the street across from the garbage dump. "Wouldn't that be perfect for supporting the grapevines on the back scaffolding?" I asked W. He waved me off.
I tease W: "If I paid attention every time you said, 'No need!' how would we have furnished the Project?" I leave the latticework there but I'm still thinking about it. We may have to send PakG for it, along with $3 for the workers. It really is the right size and shape ... haha. (It's gone when we go by again.)
Training the eye and mind for design is like training the body for sport. I read that the best designers learn by focusing on exceptional architecture, design, and decor. They shun cheap resources like Good Housekeeping or Better Homes & Gardens. With high-end possibilities in mind, they consistently recognize good design, even when it doesn't cost a lot.
I "went to design school" as we raised our young children. How? In the 1990s, Architectural Digest ran a February series called Before & After. I looked forward to that issue. The before photo captured an empty shell or an outdated existing design. Blocking the after photo, I would anticipate what a top designer would do.
When I uncovered the after photo, I was often stunned. From ceiling to floor, the imagination and limitless resources (due to wealthy clients) were beyond what I dreamed up. Those issues of AD taught me about unrealized potential. I love to rejuvenate an existing room or house, whether it's an empty ruin like the Project or a dated space. Whatever is on hand - architecture, furniture, accessories - can be transformed into beautiful and useful spaces.
Most of what we used at the Project is second- or third-hand. We'd rather spend funds on people than places but that doesn't mean it has to look cheap. There's no need for fancy new stuff if repurposing will do. I lsit in the entry with a cup of tea to soothe my soul and quiet my mind.
Danny's painting, Kim's quilt, traditional Indonesian weavings, and a throwaway orange rug from a kindergarten class anchor this tranquil setting. The 2 benches were repurposed from an office. The airy white curtains throughout the Project are flat sheets.
We train our eyes by what we look at and our hearts by what we value. One of the good things about my hand-me-down phone is how easy it is to change the opening screen. I run across this beautiful entry and think, "Ah, that would feel like a homecoming each time I open my phone." Isn't it a pretty view?
The sun shines on the Project garden as I call our daughter.
The book group meets in the afternoon. We added three members this year, so 10 of us gather around a cafe table. Before heading home, Dolly gifts me one of her watercolors - she's a talented artist. Her husband was one of Indonesia's first PhD's in Geology in his studies in the Netherlands.
Saturday
During an early walk, I notice that I'm hardly puffing, going uphill. The air seems cleaner than usual. W checks the index; yes indeed @71. It's easier to ascend when the air quality is under 130 AQI. (It's 135 by evening.)
W is due for a follow-up at the hospital. He did his blood test yesterday while waiting for me to check out. We leave at 8AM and don't get home until 1PM, going to and from the administration desks 3X between his EKG, the doctor, and the cashier. The EKG costs Rp.200.000 ($12 US).
"Your blood and brain tests say you are healthy and the medicines are working!" crows the doctor. He is so pleased, as are we. He clears W to fly long distance if all continues to be clear. Hurrah!
As we eat lunch, we notice the star fruit tree in the yard is starting to shed its bounty. These fruits are not sweet but used in local "salads" with a dressing of soy sauce and ground peanuts.
I never feel guilty for resting between exertions. I spend 2 hours after lunch flat on my back, reading a novel and a devotional book. The tall mug of tea goes down easy.
We spray-paint a chrome finish on an old peeling mirror found in the yard, propping it against the woodpile to dry, far from the house. Those fumes! All the edges are chipped so I'll have it framed for one of the guest rooms. It's about 80X80cm (32"square) and has cost $2.50 in paint so far.
I make fried rice for supper. Neither of us is enthused about it but the ingredients were on hand. Outside, it's party day in the city. Bands, dancing, sports, and other neighborhood celebrations continue until midnight.
Sunday
At dawn, there's a lovely hymn/poem in the
Night Office by Phyllis Tickle. I write music for it and sing it a few times:
Bread of the world in mercy broken,
wine of the soul in mercy shed,
by whom the words of life were spoken,
and in whose death our sins are dead:
Look on the heart by sorrow broken,
look on the tears by sinners shed;
and be your feast to us the token
that by your grace our souls are fed.
After a walk and making breakfast, I head for the Gathering. It's nice to be with Family.
After, there's a baby shower for Angie, who is expecting her third child within a month or two.
Rocky and Lussi come by with a pineapple and kale grown on their rooftop. She's a good gardener! They are dear to us.
Ofly, Angie, and kids drop in to pick up a portable portrait light diffuser - he's a good photographer.
I remove the portable EKG monitor I've worn for 3 days. Tomorrow someone will come by to collect it.
Sayaka does a myofunction therapy session with Waldemar and teaches him to say his name clearly. Hurrah! Meanwhile I rest. I've had enough this morning. As I shower, I find someone else's nametag stuck to my arm. There were many hugs this morning. I peel it off and scrub it away.
As we walk down the hill in the early evening, the extravagance of God shows in the trees. They have masses of blooms.
The ground is littered with bright yellow flowers that fall like rain.
W and I walk down to see Veronica and Kiki, who have returned from abroad after 3 months away. We have all missed them; V spent time with her mom, who suffered with cancer. Now she is at peace.
At #
Homeground on the way up the hill, we stop for supper. W puts aside the peppers from one serving of Mala Chicken.
We walk in the door and call it a day, my cup of peppermint tea in hand. It's been a good day.
Read more:
* My people shall be satisfied with my bounty, says the LORD. Jeremiah 31:14
* I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God. Ezekiel 36:26-28
* I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. John 17:15
* And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19
Moravian Prayer: Lord, this world is a scary place. It can be dangerous business going out our doors. May our faith that your care and support will never leave us, help keep our feet under us as we follow where you lead.
God of abundance, thank you for claiming us as your own and for providing all we need. Grant us your generous and accepting spirit so that all our needs may be met in you, and none of your children go without. Amen.
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