Austin's flowers

Saturday, September 27, 2025

We fly to Austin early in the morning.

It's after noon when we are picked up by our daughter Kirsten.

We share a wonderful HEB barbecue supper. W buys supplies at Home Depot to repair K's hall. A leak from a disintegrated washer on her washing machine ruined the baseboard. 

While he sets up the project, she and I listen to her church service online.

Sunday

W replaces the warped baseboards and closes the drywall cut out by the plumber (who didn't find the leak.) How good to have a handy father!

The furniture returns to its place so the eye no longer stops at the floor.

I walk around the neighborhood, marveling at the number of cars = mostly 2-3 vehicles per driveway. The USA is a car-propelled country with long drives to stores and services unless you live in downtown in a city or in a very small town.

Many people are walking their dogs. This man reads a book as he strolls with his dog.

Texas is home to many wildflowers. The gardening season is long, though it's so hot and dry in mid-supper that plants have to be heat-tolerant.

The blooms come in many colors.

A cement truck is pouring a driveway nearby.

We sup at a Chinese noodle place. I love the flavors. And of course, noodles are my favorite food group.

Monday

W leaves for Springfield to meet with a theology commission. Kirsten and I visit a few discount stores for tablecloths that will become curtains. We have a pasta dinner that is so good I eat it before thinking about taking a photo.

We eat thick Chinese noodles for supper - so good.

Tuesday

We have a few things to pick up after a relaxing morning. We find a big print for a difficult window but K is also looking for a suitcase. We strike out so far.

After shopping, Kirsten prepares a delicious avocado toast for lunch.

The vehicle size here is extreme. 

In Springfield, W is picking up a goodies to take home to enjoy in Indonesia.

K and I love home renovation series so we watch a few episodes each afternoon as we relax together.

Wednesday

Kirsten asks for the homemade chocolate chip cookies she remembers from childhood. A half-recipe yields a few dozen. Sofa covers and rugs get washed and we return purchases that don't match expectations. Costco is one of our destinations for their international choices. German spaetzle? It's there.

We're back in late afternoon, when K makes a delicious lunch. After a little break, we tackle the fridge and freezer. Isn't everything more fun when doing it together? Food rests on a large towel while we reorganize and wash shelves, which are already quite clean so it doesn't take long.

After another home reno episode, I edit a journal article. Meanwhile, K drives off to bring W from the airport. He and I have sent greetings back and forth with mutual friends and scholars.

Read more:

* Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, you his servants, the descendants of Israel, his chosen ones, the children of Jacob. He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth. 1 Chronicles 16:8-14

* I am yours; save me. Psalm 119:94

* Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists. Acts 12:7

Moravian Prayer: We try to survive on our own, God. Eventually we need help, and you are the ultimate savior. May we always rely on you, knowing you will graciously be there for us. Thanks be to you, O God. Amen.

Cool, in more ways than weather

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

It's windy and cold but I refresh with a good walk along the Hope Slough. I cook and tidy up, but Mom and I get to spend most of the day together when she's awake. I stay awake until my last call at 11:00 PM for Mom's meds and seeing her to the bathroom. I'm asleep before midnight.

Thursday

We say goodbye to Mom when her caregiver arrives mid-morning. We are headed for Seattle. The mountains are capped with snow.

We make a brief stop for tea and coffee with dear friends LeRoy and Lynette. Lynette sends along a package of Spekulaas cookies. Yum - it's the Dutch version of German Pfeffernuss baking.

Lunch is Tex Mex in Burlington.

The restaurant is decorated with bright colors and sombreros (traditional Mexican hats).

We spend a few hours unpacking, doing laundry, and repacking at our flat. In the evening, we toss the suitcases into the rental car and head to the airport hotel: we don't want to miss our morning flight with a lousy commute from the other end of the city. W has researched the weather. It looks like ice and snow are coming overnight.

Saturday

Sure enough, the freeways are slippery with multiple vehicle accidents. Instead of fretting about getting to the airport on time, I catch the hotel shuttle in while W parks the car in an airport lot. We find each other at the check-in counter for the 4.5-hr. flight.

Kirsten picks us up from the Austin airport in the early afternoon. We watch her church service together, a practical and uplifting message on living with intention.

Her friend Chantelle comes for supper: Texas barbecue ribs with all the fixings. So yummy!

W sits with us but is busy, working on his manuscript.

Sunday

I sleep almost 10 1/2 hours. When Kirsten walks the dog, I trail along for some fresh air. A house is being constructed on the last empty lot on her street.

It's cool outside (60oF/17oC) so we layer up, coming in afterward to warm up with tea. K lays out a general shape for a new picture gallery for her hall.

As part of his dad-chores, W pounds no-dig metal spikes into the ground along a shared fence. K hopes to deter the neighbor's 3 dogs from burrowing into her backyard. They've trespassed and bitten her little dog.) We do some shopping and have a hearty supper.

Monday

K makes yogurt and granola for her dad and herself. I cook a Western-style breakfast, making an extra tortilla and bacon for W who reflexively says "no" but will want it after seeing my plate.

W checks the smoke detector batteries and shakes out the house's air filters, while K and I unwrap picture frames. We wash the glass or peel protective plastic sheets off the plexiglass in the frames. We trim the artwork, frame it, and make sure all is ready to hang.

W measures the wall, levels the angles, and installs the pictures ... before K takes him to the airport. He's off to work in Missouri. I have a few more days here.

We bake a pan of brownies in the evening, and enjoy the rich chocolate with a cup of tea.

A few evenings, we relax with a home improvement series. Both of us enjoy the imaginative designs as a couple works with a construction crew. 

In the episodes of Fixer to Fabulous, I'm struck by the husband response: "Yes." Whatever she (the designer) thinks up, the first thing out of his mouth is "Yes, we can do that," and then he figures out how. Pretty cool - and how uplifting to start with "yes!" ...

Tuesday

K and I do some shopping, eat good food, and rest together. The prayer times are precious. We contact my mom each day, too. We tweak the gallery wall put up yesterday and put up the last items.

I cut K's hair on the back porch. The rain and wind gusts make it hard to get an even grip on her locks.

For lunch, we try a Chinese noodle place - outstanding tastes, especially with their homemade pickles and chili crisp oil.

It's been a wet and gusty week. Multicolored leaves blow across the sidewalks.

This is the color I associate with Austin foliage. Grey-green suits the dry wilderness climate of summers and the tan-colored soil.

Wednesday

K and I walk the neighborhood in the late morning, redo the bedding and toss in some laundry, before having lunch and praying together.

In mid-afternoon, K drops me at the airport. I am refreshed and encouraged by the visit with our daughter. She's a mature and thoughtful person with strong opinions and a soft presentation.

The lounge has healthy options, including a delicious salad-in-a-jar. The woman next to me strikes up a conversation about what it means to live and serve abroad. She's on her way to becoming a global citizen.

The flight is uneventful from Texas to Seattle. W flies from Missouri to Seattle, arriving an hour after I land. We are grateful for heated metal benches in the shuttle waiting area. The shuttle picks us up to drop us off at the parking lot. We retrieve the car and drive to our flat. It's -1oF ... BRRRRR so cold. At least it's been dry so the freeway isn't slippery.

I toss my pajamas and the blankets into the dryer to heat up and soon we're fast asleep.

Read more:

*[Jeremiah prayed,] “Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you."

Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? Jeremiah 32:17, 26-27

*O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. Psalm 51:15

*Peter and John said, “We cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:20

Moravian Prayer: Jesus, may we continually praise you in all we do: from our lips, in our hearts, and in our actions. May we declare your goodness to all whom we encounter. Let us live in such a way that every person we meet will feel your presence through us. In your name, we pray. Amen.