Too tired to get really mad ... but close

Saturday, May 3, 2025

It's an early morning with a walk - and another walk in late afternoon. On the way, a group of young boys is gathered around one kid who is sitting. We stop to check what's going on. The youngster is crying - he's skinned his knee badly. The other boys are sympathizing, not making fun of him. The satpam (sentry) down the lane waves the boys over to wash the knee and put on a bandage.

I spot a new-to-me kind of bulb blooming.

Outside the gate, the avocado tree is dripping with fruit.

There was a wind-and-rain storm overnight and many trees blew down. Cleanup is underway. I snap off 2 branches and drag them home from our walk - then get a few flowers from the garden to finish an arrangement. I'll pull it into place tomorrow. PakG drops it at the hall after noon.

While I send Anton on energy-draining "fetch"es, a snake quickly winds across the lawn from one flower bed to the other. I spot him on the edge of the pond the next day, too. He's thin and 3-4' (1 meter) long. He slithers off into the flowerbed when he spots me.

Between dog walks and work, W and I eat lunch at Homeground Restaurant where a full meal with sides costs $3-5.

A bowl of fried Cajun-ish chicken is good, too ($3.50).

I carry on with Duolingo day by day. You'd think I'd know more Indonesian by now ...

Kirsten and I call - we compare our dogs' sizes to our feet. She.

We. 

We rack up 11,000 steps again today. Every day, Anton understands more of what I'm asking of him and becomes more willing to obey.

Hendy comes over on his way to the Hash dinner. Where did he get full Mexican gear, a sombrero and jacket for Cinco de Mayo? W walks a few blocks with him and his friend to the Hash's Taco Special. The runners finish their trek and join in.

After a few games of fetch, the dogs are ready to "go to bed" = a run into the crate with a treat waiting. I close the doors behind the dogs, each in his/her own crate. They settle down for the night and so do I.

Except, I stay up an extra 2 hours to take the fresh panettone loaf out of the breadmaker. It's a dismal failure. The machine hasn't even stirred in the currents. And it hasn't risen. Ugh.

Sunday

I cough my way through the night and should stay home. It feels important to show up at GG to pray over JP and Judy on their last Sunday in Bandung. They have managed the hall we rent and become dear friends. Now they are embarking on a new adventure, life in a foreign country (to them) ... the USA.

I walk home after prayer and join the Gathering online (cough cough). Feibe, our outstanding STTB intern, is speaking today. I can pray over her and enjoy the talk via livestream - but I wish I could cheer her on in person. (Makes me smile: she's wearing heels instead of comfy shoes she's in when leading the children.)

W jumps in to host the team meeting afterward. Good to have a strong partner when you can't lead. The morning is dark and gloomy. It starts to clear up before noon and then goes back to overcast - and wet.

Monday

Martin and Sayaka are gifted as pastors. They naturally and sacrificially think of others - and this morning they send a dark healing tea to help me recover. It immediately starts to soothe my throat.

This week's dog assignment is teaching Anton to sit when I stop. He hardly pulls when we walk and is paying attention (more and more) when on leash. Before he comes home, he has to sit outside. That gets him lots of affection and praise. Then "pulang" (go home) and he bounces in the gate after me.

Look at all the colors on this flower! orange, blue-black, pink, white, and greens ... 

We give input on a crowdfunding video. W teaches a study while I open my book survey = so much good information to sort through ... before we shop for food. For lunch, we try a Chinese place that our friends highly recommended. Very good food at a reasonable price - and we have leftovers for supper. 

W drops by friends while I go home for the last dog walk. I'm exhausted from being out but the training session is a real hassle. I gave express instructions to W and PakG not to walk Anton at all, never mind with the other dogs, until he can obey without question. Anton is too big, strong, and willful to be let loose.

However, this morning while I'm busy, the driver clips Anton to the other dogs on the group. I don't see them go out the gate or I would have stopped them! Anton predictably pulls like a Komodo dragon, runs all over the place, and is almost unmanageable. I sternly warn the driver afterward again, not to take Anton out without my permission. (It will take a few weeks until he's ready for that group walk.)

I'm angry: when I walk Anton in the afternoon, the uncontrolled morning walk has undone almost a week of obedience training. He will hardly focus, stubbornly jumping around, pulling, and refusing to listen. We wait for almost an hour in one alley until Anton agrees to sit. Sigh. I've been sick all week and don't have the energy for nonsense, whether with person or beast.

But we'll do it all again in the morning. How does God put up with our willfulness, day after day, and year after year? 

Read more:

*Lord, turn my heart to your decrees and not to selfish gain. Psalm 119:36

*In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. Titus 2:7-8 

*This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. 1 John 5:14-15

Moravian Prayer: Lord God, you know our hearts. Our impulses are not always pure. Forgive us, please. Make us aware of our falling short, so that none are lost, but all are found. Amen.

The new-ness of life - Easter and Easter week

Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025

"Christ is risen!" and the responses: "He is risen indeed!" How we love this high holy day of celebration.

The lilies open overnight into a cheerful bouquet.

We affirm the scriptural account of Jesus' death and resurrection in community. The kids put on a program - the Good News of what Jesus has done for us.

Several of us eat lunch together. We start with poutine and beef-laden fries.

I order rendang (spicy beef) noodles. Most of us take home leftovers.

I'm ready for bed when the sun goes down. We set the alarm for 11 PM last night to talk to our kids around the world. Because they live in Europe and USA, finding a good time is a challenge. It was well worth waking up to see them. But I didn't fall back asleep until after 4 AM ... and it's an early morning on Sundays. I crash out today before 7 PM.

Easter Monday

I write the final Lenten blog post for 2025. I've slept 8 hours when I wake at 3 AM. That's plenty so why bother trying to sleep longer? Meetings start at 4:30. Mom looks happy and alert online.

When I hang up the last call, it's out the door to walk with the dogs. Roosters, hens, and chicks peck at the garbage dump.

W and I marvel over the intricate 3" (7cm) seedpods scattered across the street.

The bougainvilleas hang resplendent from the neighbor's fence.

At home, 8 pods jazz up a candy dish on the entry table. The rest will get run over by motorcycles and cars.

The lilies open to match the current slipcovers.

I promise myself, "I'm going to edit," since I've committed to 3 projects. This morning, we head out the door for a new dog leash - the pet taxi says that Anton is coming Thursday. (He was expected 2 weeks ago. But Indonesian holiday traffic jams and tropical heat = an unsafe combo for moving animals long distances.) We get a few collars since our dogs' collars are wearing. We rip the fru-fru off the collars. Away with the fake bandana, a flower, and a puffy ladybug.

I'm done editing a friend's thick document by mid-afternoon. I completed W's edit last week, so there's one more on my desk: a 200-page book. I've been assured that it's in good writing - in good English, which makes editing faster.

Tuesday and Wednesday

Walks. Then editing. The thick academic material makes my head spin every half hour. Thank God for tea and mobility - I walk around holding a mug, looking across the garden to refresh my brain.

IbuA hads a family funeral Tuesday so she's not around to start baking. We're replacing many cookies and goodies eaten at movie night and elsewhere. Super-helper IbuS is hard at work, having learned kitchen skills from IbuA. She grinds out hundreds of delicious chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies. I sneak a few as I walk through the kitchen.

We assemble recycling pails and other goods that are being loaned for a weekend potluck. IES Bandung loves eating together; we delayed the communal Easter meal until the coming Sunday when more people are in town.

The movie night utensils and trays? Yup - and we toss in new cutlery that will be washed and recycled. Indonesia is drowning in throw-away plastic.

We get a snapshot when Anton gets picked by pet transporter on Tuesday. He has a 2-day road trip ahead. He should arrive late Thursday, when our dogs are worn out from the hike.

How do you bring a new dog into an established pack? Our ease-in option has worked so far, though a dominant dog may challenge the others a few times before settling in. First up is confirming a neutral space where we can let Anton meet our creatures. Thanks, JP and Judy!

Thursday, before Anton exits the transport van, W will take our dogs on a walk. Anton can roam our yard to smell them and put his own smell everywhere. He'll be taken on his own walk before our dogs return. (A walk also helps the calming travel meds to dissipate in a dog's system before bedtime.)

"We can smell him! Where is he?" It's always fun to watch our critters trying to find the newbie. They'll sniff him in their territory and pee everywhere he has marked.

W will take our pack and I'll bring Anton to meet in our friends' fenced yard. Anton goes in first; then our dogs are let off-leash to say hello. If all goes as planned, we'll walk the pack home together. And that's that. (Plus a little wrestling over the next week or two?) A friend sends a crate our way so Anton can have his own cave. 

Goodbye to one home and hello to the next.

Read more:

*Bless God in the great congregation. Psalm 68:26

*This poor soul cried and was heard by the Lord and was saved from every trouble. Psalm 34:6

*Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

*Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. Acts 2:46-47

*Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13,14

Moravian Prayer: God of comfort, you know our deep sadness and weariness. You hear our cries and see our heavy burdens. Because of your profound love for us, you offer to take our grief and pain, and in their place, give our souls a quiet stillness and a peaceful resting place until we are united with you in joyful bliss. 

God of all creation, we bow before you with praise and adoration. May your Holy Spirit work within us to keep our minds and hearts focused on you. As we live in community with others, help us to reflect your goodness and love so that our entire lives can be an offering of thanksgiving. Amen. Be it so.

Easter weekend is here!

Thursday, April 17, 2025

After cleaning mud from the hike off our bodies and clothes, we feel almost human again. Shibli and Tanikota intern SanSan drop by for over an hour. She has done a wonderful job teaching children during this university semester. Now she's moving elsewhere for work. We send a small gift and thank you card with her.

GOOD FRIDAY 2025

It pours down rain. Oh what lousy sleep. I manage 6 hours with a long break in the middle. I start the breadmaker at 2:30 AM so a loaf will be ready when I wake. We bake a second bread in prep for lunch guests.

It's a meditative morning, with reflections and a blog post on the great gift of Jesus. It's unfathomable how much we are loved and what He has accomplished for us.

As I cook and clean, I note the silicone pan liners are in terrible shape.

It takes a half hour of scrubbing to remove the baked-on gunk. Every once in a while my inner "German-Hausfrau" goes on a rampage to give something a deep clean. Today's the day for the liners.

I make gnocchi, egg sandwiches (on fresh bread), salad, and sausages for lunch. Dessert is cookies, of course! Having friends over is a pleasure around the big round table. Everyone spins the central lazy-Susan until the food they want reaches them.

J and N bring gifts of homemade jam and some tea. Perfect! We talk about the spiritual treasure we share in the death and resurrection of Jesus. The conversation nourishes our souls as we feed our bodies.

Great flashes of lightning strike in the early evening. Thunder rolls across the sky. The power of God is on display tonight.

Saturday

Lots of people are walking the Loop before 7 AM. Indonesia officially celebrates Good Friday but not Easter. Families get together on days off and extend days on either side if they can. This is a long weekend for many.

Alice orders lily stems at the last minute; I didn't mention it earlier in the week because she was ill. She's amazing at finding what we need! Ding-dong, the gate bell rings and there they are. Thanks (x100 for all you do), Alice.

A trip to the yard yields bromeliads and maidenhead ferns. Most of the lilies are closed. Hopefully they open by tomorrow. I add pretty white-flowered weeds from the morning walk to make a 4' X 2.5' (130 X 80cm) arrangement. That's big enough. We drop it off at the hall.

W's in the mood to go to the mall. The last time I went to PVJ, I was wearing a mask. That means it's been years. The empty storefronts are full again, the mall has been upgraded, and the aisles swarm with shoppers. However, the fashions? Look at these polyester knit patterns, straight from the 1970s. Retro is in, I guess.

Lunch is spicy noodles, which live up to their name. The taste is worth the heat. I pick out as many hot red peppers as I can find, but my lips tingle for hours afterward. Thank God for a healthy stomach. 

W enjoys his wagyu croquette, a mass of egg, meat, and cheese, on croissant-like bun. He finds a new batik shirt and I buy small gifts for next year's Christmas White-Elephant gift exchange. (Yes, I dislike pressure-shopping enough to gather barang barang or hal hal = stuff = far in advance. Best case scenario: I never have to shop for a "need.")

Inside the mall, a play area is full of kids and bunnies. I don't see if they're selling the bunnies but 2 banks of cages have dozens of rabbits in them. Whether they end up as saté or pets is up in the air.

We drop by Veronica's to check on Kiki and hand over her humorous book about growing up in 1950s-'60s Australia. So much is relatable to Canadians of that era. Remember Massey Ferguson tractors (no John Deere in Canada)? Remember when school discipline was a smack on the palm with a chalkboard pointer, and every classroom had a British flag and a picture of the Queen?

How about family chores? Back in the day, no kid expected payment for doing chores; it was every family member's duty to contribute. I laugh while reading parts aloud to W on the drive to the mall.

W helps me figure out what's missing for the survey I need to write my next book. Apparently I've been stalled for a month by a simple instruction to "make and send the shortened link" for returns. Sigh. Should have asked him sooner!

What a spiritual journey this Lenton season has been for me, reading through the book of John. John was the beloved friend of Jesus and an eyewitness to what Jesus said and did. I finish the final (Lent Day 40) blog post in late afternoon. Read it (and catch up on the others) here.

Read more:

*For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. John 3:16

*He is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

*In Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 2 Corinthians 5:19

Moravian Prayer: Prince of peace, we confess our faith this day as we remember your last breaths, your cries of anguish, and the blood spilling from your side. Bless and comfort us, gracious God. Remember us as you go into your kingdom. Amen.

Perfection is overrated

Monday, March 17, 2025

We walk, then have 2 online meetings after breakfast.

Many of our friends do puzzles but that's never captured my attention. W and I spotted a 3D puzzle of a bookshelf "room" on one of our trips last year. It's been sitting on the shelf for months.

Today I pull it out, punch out a few wooden pieces. At Step 4 (on page 3 of 25) I have no clue what they're talking about. W can help me figure it out, or not. Who cares if it's perfect?

I'm working on three red abstract canvases to hang in red frames. I made this a few weeks ago and think I'll leave the imperfect circles as they are.

This second one got white dots over the base.

I look at the messy background of the final canvas. Oh, oh, in the art box, I spot half-used jars of craft paints in red, yellow, blue, and white. There's also a 1" (2.5cm) hardware brush on the shelf behind me ... so why not? I haul out the last canvas. I tip globs of color and a bigger pool of white onto the plastic wrap that housed puzzle pieces.

After 10 minutes of play, maybe it's done, maybe not. I pack away the paints. The nice thing about abstract acrylics is that you can splash around a canvas as many times as you want to, layering on what you've done. It doesn't have to be perfect or "finished" when you set out with no aim beyond having fun. I let things sit for a few weeks before I decide.

I wash paint off my hands and toss out the leftover paint in its plastic skin. Kiddie craft paint is good for fooling around because it's non-toxic. (Classroom paint is usually safer than artist quality.) I can't resist touching and moving paint around with my fingers. I rarely remember to put on the finger "socks" that are made to protect kids or grownups like messy me.

After lunch, we visit a neighbor's house. One of my favorite things is the life-sized model of a zebra in the backyard.

Tuesday

Our walk is shorter than usual: I didn't sleep very long and have no energy.  A little plant sprouting at the mossy base of an enormous tree trunk inspires me. It reminds me that it doesn't matter how small you are now; grow where you're planted.

I bake a carrot cake and forget to add sugar. Tastes amazing with raw honey smeared on it ... but still.

The helpers transition the dining table from a pink-ish tablecloth 

to a green one that matches the rest of the room.

As I get down to work, I "shut the door" to my office, at least figuratively. Those who have been here a while know that when the curtain is drawn, my door is "closed" and I'm working. (Crude but usually effective.)

The side entry door and the passage to upstairs are at one side of my office. I'm constantly moving others' stuff out of my sightline, much to their irritation. (Why not stash their stuff in their own spaces?) A pretty sight today: the pot outside my window has erupted in magenta blossoms.

Judy and I chat over morning coffee at HomeGround. I walk her home before returning to the restaurant with W for a very spicy lunch. Yum. My lips may be burning but my stomach is happy.

Wednesday

The sun's coming up as we walk. We take this beautiful city for granted sometimes. "Aren't we lucky to live in a city with palm trees?" I ask W, pointing to the towering trees in front of the sunrise.

A grandpa is taking his 2 grandkids to school on his motorbike. Kids - babies included - quickly learn to balance in front of, behind, or atop the driver. Most youngsters drive motorcycles by their mid-teens. Many start even sooner, racing around the streets near their homes,, ferrying their friends, or just zooming by on a lark.

After meetings and wading through emails, I hop onto a company seminar about the value of AI. They do an interesting review of how AI develops with all available data and how to profit from the automation. A friend drops by to enjoy tea and carrot cake on the Porch.

A wild lovebird swoops under the cages to eat what our birds have scattered. I can't catch it - but what a beauty. It's a recent escapee from someone's cage, still in good condition.

I make a Western lunch for W and me. Oh look, there's color on the plate. Most local food is brown, tan, or beige. (That doesn't mean it's not delicious!)

We sort out appointments for this week and next, do some counseling, and swap out the grey living room rug for one with colors. As long as there's something creative in the day, it's a good one, no matter how heavy the workload.

Between it all, the groomers arrive to tidy up our 3 pooches. With a Ramadan bonus, their total bill is $22. (Cheaper than hiring security guards, that's for sure.)

The 2 poodles get washed, cut, and blown dry, while Gypsy has the knots in his fur clipped and combed out. Looking good! The dogs get some sausage and another walk with PakG as their reward for standing still. Tomorrow is a hike, which will take care of any show dog illusions they have.

Perfect for a day. But perfection is overrated.

They're always "Good Doggies!"

Read more:

*You shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. Isaiah 62:2

* By his wounds you have been healed. 1 Peter 2:24

* So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being! 2 Corinthians 5:17

Moravian Prayer: Gracious God, awaken our hearts to see the glorious beauty in this new day. Refresh our minds and renew our spirits, as we accept the gift of new beginnings. Give us courage to start over as we trust in your goodness and love. Thank you for the hope and promise of new life in Jesus Christ, our redeemer. Amen.