Stone, sunshine, and a sloth

Thursday, April 23, 2026

The kitchen island was functional: 4 discount-shop floor tiles topped two tables. The tables were sourced from a library that was remodeling. Today, two men come with slabs propped along the wall of a shop earlier this week. A slab rather than tiles is better.

The tiles almost fit, if you don't mind 2" (5cm) of bare wood on each side. And if you don't care about a few chipped corners.

The two new pieces cover with a few inches to spare. The stone is bookended, which is a bonus. I saw the color I liked at the shop, at about the right size, and didn't bother to check whether the slabs matched. (The tiles readied me to accept imperfections and almost-there decor, I guess. hehe) The travertine needs to be sealed before we put food on it. No acid foods allowed! on the surface, ever. Let's see how long that lasts.

When we first saw that corner of the room, it looked like the photo below. It's come a long way as a serving kitchen. The contractor cemented floor tiles from the same bundle over broken tile countertops and around a big stained ceramic sink.

My decor philosophy is that if you stay true to your mind's eye, you can refine the vision with whatever comes your way. The outcome may not be exact, especially if your budget is "small, but can we spend still less?" Mostly, it turns out even better than the original plan.

The serving kitchen has turned out well. It's useful for food preparation or when big groups come over. (Below, last Wednesday, 80-ish people scooped up desserts during the intermission at movie night.)

Tipping is not common but W gives a little extra so the stone delivery men can buy themselves a meal or coffee. We send the stone guys off to their next site with pieces of IbuS's banana bread. They sit down on the driveway porch to eat it.

They're almost done when the mirror delivery guys come in. We offer the second pair a roasted sweet potato each. The guys know each other and compare their food bonuses. (Makes us all laugh.)

W mounts the mirror in the Project apartment. It becomes a reflective window wall. The office is on the dark side of the building so every bit of natural light helps.

I'm hanging pictures in the bathroom, hoping to be done with Command strips. Though we wait an hour for the strips to adhere, one of the pictures crashes off the wall. It had extra strips on the back, too. Oh well. The frame breaks in pieces but the glass is intact.

I connect with a few people. Our loop walk before sundown takes us past 10,000 steps. Somehow we're tired, though it feels like we haven't done much today. The backyard of the Project glows a goodnight as we put the dogs to bed.

Friday

After a walk, W and I have breakfast at #NaraPark. Near us, a young Caucasian family is eating. It's rare enough to have white foreigners around that we say hi before we leave. It turns out that we know many of the same people in Bandung and Bali. Their kids roam the yard and exclaim in delight as they discover the tortoises, lizards, hedgehogs, fish, and owls spread out between the eateries.

It's a full day. We finish tidying from movie night.

The entry is ready to welcome the next guests.

The edge of the sink is grouted, which should make it easier to clean.

The afternoon fills with setting up English Tanikota3 tomorrow, besides regular work. Before sundown, we take a final walk. We turn through our old neighborhood. How odd not to be part of the streets and the community, though the Project sits beside its entry. I like the creative privacy wall on someone's balcony but can't imagine what lizards, roaches, or termites may be living in the sticks.

We planted grapevines from a friend in a dry corner of the backyard. At each tiny cluster of leaves, a handful of grapes is ripening.

The streetlight and entry sign into the neighborhood were crushed by a falling tree 3 weeks ago. They are still bent and lying across our fence. I ask a distinguished neighbor to check with their RT (council chairperson) when they can get it fixed.

"When the rains end," says PakRT. It hasn't rained for 2 nights. So maybe soon? Our own repairs must wait for their light and sign to be moved out of the way. (They fix it Saturday, tomorrow.)

Some people have pets like we do: birds, fish, dogs or cats. This neighbor has Javanese spotted deer, a big sloth, and meerkats.

Saturday

It's a sunny morning with a crisp breeze ruffling the leaves overhead as we walk. Cicadas thrum each morning at the end of the rainy season. Our 10' (3m) hedge is constantly surprising us with new plants, which need trimming or removing.

W heads back into the Project pool, splashing around his big chemistry experiment. The plumber has come and gone many times over the last half-year, trying to figure out the water supply and other issues. The pool cavity was left green and full of critters for a decade. Half-drained, it looked like this last June.

When the crew scrubbed and emptied the pool, we found out it is 4m (12') deep. There's no way we can fill it to the top or leave the old diving board = too dangerous with the constant stream of guests at the Project. We were informed that 1.2 meters is the ideal depth for hosting exercise classes. Hopefully it is workable soon.

The English study volunteers and kids show up mid-afternoon. The sun is hot at noon but clouds blow over to cool down the air. The chirping of children and the steady voices of tutors are a pleasant addition to the tinging of the windchimes.

W puts the whiteboard back to where he wants it stored.

We attend a Saturday service, a wonderful way to complete the week. The speaker closes with, "Raise your hands if you need patience in relationships, including marriage." I raise both hands. Poor W - I'm not always a patient person.

Sunday
The Sunday market opens early. We haven't gone for 8 years, since we started working onsite for the Sunday Gathering, starting at 7am. Today we squeeze through the crowds to see what's available. Fruit, vegetables, plastic key chains and toys, stationery and school supplies, builder and garden tools, kitchen pots and utensils - it's all here.

There's a plethora of plants and pets: some chicks are painted wild colors. When you choose your chick/s or duck/s, the seller pops it/them into a plastic bag.

There are rabbits, rats, birds, and lizards.

The tropical fish arrive in tubs. The seller scoops them out of the net by hand and puts them in plastic bags, where they'll hang until sold.

Someone has creatively painted empty snail shells and is selling them with hermit crabs inside.

There's a choochoo train for kiddies to ride in someone's front driveway.

The vegetables are fresh but we don't know what they're sprayed with. Roundup herbicide is common.

W buys a salty peanut-topped pancake for each of us.

The seller flips batter into cast-iron pans that sit over a wood fire. The baking process is quick once the lid is on.

A mosque edges the street.

One of the difficulties in cramped communities is garbage disposal.

This huge wad of steaming black rice has been dumped onto a table-top tarp. An older lady breaks it into small-bag sections to be eaten now or taken home.

Raw chicken lies in partial shade. The seller has a sharp cleaver, with which he chops whatever pieces the buyers ask for.

There's a women's aerobics class in the park triangle down the block.

With great contentment, we thank God for the communities of faith meeting this weekend all around the world. We also pray for peace and the Presence over our neighbors and all we meet.

Read more:
* Know, then, in your heart that, as a parent disciplines a child, so the LORD your God disciplines you. Deuteronomy 8:5

* But you [oh God] are the same, and your years have no end. Psalm 102:27

* All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16

*To the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. Jude 25

Moravian Prayer: Jesus, we believe that you are the way, the truth, and the life. We are determined to walk in your way and hold to your truth. How else can we have your life within us? Draw us close to you. 

Eternal God, sometimes the scriptures become our prayers. “You are the same, and your years have no end.” The same is true of your love, your promises, and your presence. When life’s uncertainties frighten us, we are thankful that you are our unmoving foundation. Amen.

"Is it better to be happy or know the truth?"

Tuesday, April 21, 2026
British hymns played by a classical organist accompany today's writing and work. We head to town after a walk around the neighborhood loop. This 1' / 30cm leaf has the most beautiful shape as it dries, don't you think?

We pass parades of schoolchildren commemorating Hari Kartini, in homor of the woman who championed equality for women in Indonesia.

It's time to get a full-length mirror at the Project. Who knows how we've been showing up? W is familiar with a glass shop downtown. Its owner remembers him. She offers us a wide-and-tall non-wavy option, delivered for $20. I'm planning to hang it with a secondary function. Mounting it across from an existing window will create the illusion of a window on a blank wall. We order another mirror for the guest bedroom.

When we moved in, we placed 4 floor chipped floor tiles across 2 library tables to make a serving island. Although they don't fit, it's worked well enough.

We walk past a stone seller. Since they don't have one slab of what I'm looking for, I bargain for 2 pieces of rough-cut travertine marble. (I can put our wooden cutting board between.) Once the shop offers the same price as they charge for run-of-the-mill stone, we agree to the purchase. They promise to deliver the slabs on Thursday.

It's good to have a handy spouse. W hangs the wind chimes on the Porch. Two older chimes came with us from Seattle but the one of beach glass is from our recent trip to Bali. I've missed those songs when the wind blows.

For a follower of Jesus, a multi-sensory life of worship is a daily pleasure. Our generous Creator gave us the capacity to enjoy smells, sound, touch, and more. We share his delight in the beauty of the universe = pure wonder and gratitude.

The back kitchen is readied and cleand up for tomorrow's cooking spree. Finally, the chaise liner is washed and repaired so we can pull on the new cover. (Oops, I forgot to miter the front corner. Let's leave that for the next time I pull out the sewing machine.)

The fabric is a wild neutral pattern in 3 greens, 2 blues, 2 pinks, and cream. They can be highlighted by changing the pillowcases. For now, the pillow covers are light pink and light blue.

It's time to write the partner newsletter for next month. A chocolate peanut butter cup from TJ makes the process sweeter.

Reading is part of being a lecturer or prof. Choosing texts is part of teaching. I must write reviews and make recommendations for upcoming classes. The general principle is to avoid books that are more than 10 years old unless they're seminal texts. Publications 5 years or younger keep students informed about cultural trends and current research.

We have dinner with a former student. His wife used to like Nanny Pavillon in their city. She was thinking about that with nostalgia a few days ago. She spots it across the street from our driveway. What are the chances? We cross the street and talk about homeschool, serving others, and contentment.

Wednesday
The dogs have their usual wrestling match after the walk. As we eat breakfast, they search for the banana bread crusts we toss into the yard. Then they snooze while their owners prepare for movie night.

The sky looks stormy. Rain is expected in the afternoon. There are many things we can plan and control. But the weather is God's responsibility. When there's a downpour, the streets flood and travel is restricted. We ask God for favor. [The first drops fall at night, a half-hour after our guests depart. Shortly after, the gusher begins. Thank you, God!]

The clatter of capri shellls above the Project entry hails the stir in the air with the arrival of about 80 guests.

This is the first movie night where I'm not cooking. Della, who catered the last games night, prepares the meal. The helpers cook rice, make mayo eggs, cut fruit into yogurt cups, and set out serving pieces. Everyone seems happy with the food, though those young appetites could probably have eaten more. A few mention how they look forward to the regular menu. However, none seem disappointed as they're heaping their plates.

The movie is The Truman Show, which kicked off the craze for reality TV.  We've moved art off 3 walls to make large "screens." W, who is gifted in technology, also connects a big-screen TV.

Month after month, W struggled to get the tech working at the old place. The power would flicker or the dual projectors would not synchronize. "Here," W says, "it was a piece of cake once I figured out how to link the 3 projectors and the big-screen TV." (Haha, easy indeed. What a good thing that showing the movie doesn't depend on my skills.)

We ask regular attendees how they like the setup. "We like it because we can be in groups and see the movie together. It's easier for discussion, too."

The question for this movie? "Is it better to be happy or know the truth?" We have many thought-provoking conversations afterward, with most agreeing that the pursuit of truth is crucial to a fulfilling life.

Thursday

The dogs - ours and the neighbors' - are in full cry this morning. There's sunshine and wet pavement and a tiny breeze = all in all a glorious morning.

We eased a kitten away from our entry when we left for a walk, but it squeezed back under the gate.  When we get home, the dogs spot it walking around. They chase it as it snarls, hisses, and swipes at them. They persist until W screams the dogs off long enough to pick the cat up by its loose scruff. He drops it through the fence onto a platform a little lower down. The dogs start baying again as the cat tries to climb back to our place. Silly kitty. Not long for this life, if this keeps up.

We indulge in a slice of Pannetone and tea on the Porch. The vacuum fires up and floors are washed. Beanbags and pillows go back to storage. Furniture returns to its place. We didn't move as much heavy furniture as we used to at the old place, and left the rugs down instead of rolling them up. That makes restoration quicker and easier.

W and I send a video greeting and prayer to Mom in Canada. We are grateful for ways to stay in touch as her health declines. The sunshine falls across my desk as I get to work.

Read more:
* God, from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again. Psalm 71:20-21

And [Jesus] said, “Young man, I say to you, rise!” The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Luke 7:14-15

* [Jesus said:] “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? Matthew 6:25-26

Moravian Prayer: Risen Savior, we tremble when we ponder life’s end. Did you tremble in Gethsemane? Did you feel turmoil when you dreaded the cross? Enable us to grasp the promise of life everlasting when we feel the nearness of death. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Chocolate cookies and sunshine

Friday, April 17, 2026

Another week speeds to the end. Our toes are dark where our sandals kick up dirt from the road. It's muggy. Isn't April the start of dry season? Maybe. Maybe not. The green green trees prove that they have plenty of moisture from late afternoon and night downpours. I enjoy a cookie handmade by Keelee.

After IbuSiti's here in the morning, we walk up the street to #MissBeeProvidore. I like that they keep changing the placement of their furniture. It's too hot here for a fireplace but the fake one, heaped with logs, reflects comfort.

Their pizza is excellent ($7). Egg seems to be a welcome addition to many dishes. I'm surprised to see it in the center of this mushroom pizza. I eat 2 pieces and take the rest home to share with W for supper.

Remember the guy perched 75' / 25m high in the Norfolk Island Pine?

He chops down one big branch after another - see the one falling to the right after he axes it? (See him just left of center?)

This morning, all the pines in the yard are gone. The logger must be a fast worker, unafraid of heights. The stand of Norfolk Island pines is replaced by sky.

IbuS bakes 6 banana breads with the bananas Veronica sent up yesterday. That empties the fridge of the 3 dozen eggs I purchased last week. "Each one takes 3-4 eggs," she explains. We send some banana loaves down the hill to V.

I'm still figuring out what I did wrong in cutting the chaise fabric. The Bernina waits for me to do the math. 

I jazz up yesterday's noodles for supper. Washing up, I slice my finger on an upturned knife in the sink. W's just sharpened the knives! I press hard to stop the bleeding and wrap a bandage around the finger.

We walk in the twilight, leaving 2 dogs behind. If someone comes into the yard uninvited, the dogs bark up a ruckus. Even Anton lets us know with his deep bark and a run at the person. The dogs are good guards. No stranger sneaks in night or day without loud warnings from the big dogs.

W notes that it's almost dark at 5:45, as winter approaches in the Southern Hemisphere. 

A Winnipeg relative posts a photo of the latest snow in her city. "Do you miss snow?" people regularly ask us, especially around Christmastime. Nope. Don't care if I never see another flake. Waking to summer each morning is God's gift to this oldster.

Saturday
W gets up earlier than I do. I call for him to dispose of the roach or scorpion in the corner. I can't make out what it is but drop a heavy storage box on it. He comes with a little broom and dustpan, just like he'd rescue me from creepy crawlers in the old place. We haven't seen a roach in the house and there haven't been scorpions for 2 months. Always a first time. He flicks the corpse into the dustpan. 

"Rosemee, it's your bandage." Oh yeah. I flicked that off and toward the garbage mid-night. Sigh. Forgot all about it. My aim's usually better. Anyway, thanks for saving my life, hon.

The dogs were groomed yesterday so they strut to show off. Anton attracts the most attention. People point, slow down their cars for a closer look, and little kids scream, "Lucu!" (cute!) at him. They're too frightened to pet him, despite our assurances that he's like a big sheep. (But don't come in the yard or he's all over you.) Looks like he'll stay black instead of turning silver like many black poodle puppies do.

While W finishes a morning study with a group of men, I buy rice, eggs, and a few spices. We're out of cinnamon? We brought back 2 big packs of Costco (Vietnamese) cinnamon last year. With baking for special events like Tanikota3, Christmas, and event nights, it's understandable that it's been used up.

Part of the salary "bump" for our helpers is 2 sacks of rice per month. We can't afford the same quality as before since the price has doubled. I WA 2 photos to PakG from the store: "Is one better than the other?" He says they're the same. The less expensive one is priced at what we paid last year for very fragrant rice.

I spend much of the morning cooking chilli, freezing most of it. While I'm in the mood, I might as well cook! W and I eat warmed-up pizza leftovers from Miss Bee for lunch. It's Tanikota3 day today = English classes for kids and moms. I ask the volunteers to show up a half-hour before classes start so we can test if they can set up and put things away when we travel.

In answer to our prayers, the sky is blue with clouds overhead. It's been gloomy and rainy nearly every day, but this weekend like the one before, God is shining on the children, their moms, and the volunteers at the Project. We are so grateful - knowing English boosts them toward better work and a more prosperous future for families.

More kids come than signed up. There are several classes and one for moms. Eka-in-charge buys snacks, signs them in, and makes sure all is tidy when they're done.

After everyone leaves, W sits on the side swing, accompanied by 3 big dogs. He claims not to be fond of dogs, but he is swarmed whenever he's around. The critters love him and also love that perch, from which they can view the gate and the length of the fences.

Sunday

The Porch is a relaxing place for breakfast, complete with Chinese jasmine tea in Turkish teacups and Italian pannetone on British china plates.

We enjoy worship and drop into #Homeground for lunch. The Taiwanese noodles are good, a deep brown broth that reminds me of the roast beef enjoyed at Uncle Erich and Auntie Molly's house when I was a youngster.

The bonus is a free chocolate soft-serve cone

I spot a 3" staghorn beetle on the street and W snaps a photo.

Monday

We'll host movie night this week, the first time it's been held in the Project. We know how to set up for game nights but this is different. W works on the tech setup. We'll adjust furniture placement after a few more movie nights. The first few trial runs demonstrate how the media, crowds, and the Project function. Della will cook so that I can focus on other prep.

PakG drives up to the garden nursery to pick up plants we purchased last week. The yardman and I set the plants in place. The dogs love having people over and watch curiously as planting proceeds. Hopefully, the afternoon rains will soak the soil so that the plants take hold. When I come out later, some of the plants are where we placed them. The others? not so much.

I pull the difficult 4/5ths-sewn cover over the chaise pillow. I somehow can't wrap my head around how it should come together. My brain keeps fritzing out over the L-shaped gusset. I've got it - then, "Whaaaat?" Gone.

Seeing it laid out: "Of course." There's nothing wrong with the measurements. I used to sew and quilt a lot, zipping through the geometry of piecing without effort. Ah well, done is done (with relief).

Guests will crowd onto the sofas. Indonesians like sitting closer than Europeans or N Americans do. W sets up an extra projector and tests the sound. By day's end it looks like we have a seating solution, too.

Before our evening walk, I fry rice and cabbage left from lunch, along with marinated chicken breasts. I stir mustard and yogurt together and call it a sauce. After cooking for a big family for 30 + years, I rarely am in the kitchen now. This tastes good! Then, out the door we go in the sunshine. Feels wonderful to move after a meal, doesn't it?

Read more:
* For the LORD your God is a devouring fire, a jealous God. Deuteronomy 4:24

* And the LORD said, “Is it right for you to be angry?” Jonah 4:4 (Click the link to read all 4 chapters of this reluctant prophet.)

* Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you. Hosea 10:12

* [Jesus said,] Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Luke 6:36

* Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe. Hebrews 12:28

Moravian Prayer: Lord, we confess that we often believe we are right and others are wrong. Have mercy on us as you do our foes, for we often need it more than they. We pray this in the name of our forgiver. 

Holy God, we do not fear the heat of your fire, for it is the source of your life in us. It is the power that makes us holy. Instead of fearing you, we thank you for your purifying presence. Abide with us always. Amen.