Wonderful weekend

Friday, August 22, 2025

After our walk, we have a date breakfast at #NaraPark. I order my usual oolong tea, chatting online with Mom while waiting for W to drop the dogs at home. He and I reconcile our weekend calendars  as we eat, then head home to work.

My first appointment is canceled: her child is ill. After the fading flowers are pulled from last week's arrangement, the feathery dill still looks green. I clean the sprigs and put them in fresh water. Let's see if they root. The bamboo stems left by Clau 2 months ago are finally putting out shoots.

I pull up the book manuscript. With so much data, finding patterns is a priority. Specifics will come later. As people share personal stories and their advice, I plug them into the outline.

Sigh. The outline felt so orderly before stories start to overlap from one section into the next. The rough draft is usually an initial blurt that needs to be organized. Then comes cleaning up information and writing for clarity.

The book club celebrates Anu's 50th with lunch at #CafeBrunswick. The company is wonderful, including Anu's daughter who is an Oxford undergrad majoring in Fine Arts. What fun to see the hopeful future ahead of her.

The book selections are always interesting and often international. This is the next one.

Birthday blessings come with cookies, of course.

It's back to books at home, too.

W is the king of online orders. Today four glass light shades arrive to replace the missing ones from an inherited ceiling fan. My job is specifying "get something like this" and texting him a link. He does the rest.

Saturday

It feels good to walk first thing. Dogs want to go inside the gate with us? they have to sit first. All four plunk their hind ends on the street.

IbuSiti is back for a bi-weekly unknotting of my muscles. We're updating websites, reading and writing, and making calls. Afterward, A and E arrive for their initial marriage counseling session. It's a joy to be part of new things.

W brings back a burrito (a good one!) from the student food court down the hill. Dr Tom arrives mid-afternoon to stay with us overnight. He's at dinner with a friend. We're happy to stay home with a supper of leftovers.

Sunday

W leaves at the usual time but Tom and I walk to the hall before the Gathering, where he gives a touching account of his journey of faith.

Today seems to be blue day. We line up for a photo.

Lunch at Maxi's is time for conversation and updates.

Monday

Another week rolls out with a walk and meetings. Tom joins us for breakfast at #NaraPark and after he leaves there are more meetings. A friend takes home some banana bread after we have tea together. 

Other friends send over a bed frame they purchased in an antique shop over 25 years ago. Since they're repatriating in 2 weeks, they are shedding life here.

Some days are full of tech. Others are full of people, food, and tech. That's today, a connected Monday indeed.

The tablecloths from the potluck last week are ironed and ready for the next event. They'll go back to the hall tomorrow.

Titik combined colors and textures beautifully in the Sunday floral arrangement. 

I take a closer look at here bouquet.

Look at the twisted end of a vine.

Together, it's an amazing combination. What a specialty florist - though Titik insists flowers are her hobby. We missed her while she did a 4-month trip across Asia and Europe and are happy she's back, creating beauty.

W and I relax after an early afternoon of work. I start to cull bathroom and kitchen items. We check progress on the project and then watch My Fat Big Greek Wedding 2. It's a warm-hearted spoof on family ties and traditions.

Read more:

*The Lord said, “I do forgive, just as you have asked.” Numbers 14:20

*[Jesus told his disciples,] This, then, is how you should pray:

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:9-15

*[Jesus said,] Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. Mark 11:25

*On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let 

anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” John 7:37-38

*Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Moravian Prayer: Heavenly Father, shower us with your boundless grace and forgiveness. May we humbly accept your mercy, letting it cleanse and renew our souls. May the act of your forgiveness remind us to forgive others, too. Amen.

How to make raw brownies? How about crepes? (Recipes included)

Sunday, August 10, 2025

We talk about practical faith at the IES Bandung Gathering. That includes honoring other people, respecting those in authority, and obeying the government. (See 1 Peter 2:11-17 below.) People share lively takeaways afterward. Titik is back and has outdone herself on the hall flowers.

Close up, the detail of the leaves, roses, and mums are lovely.

We eat at #HomeGround, with spicy Szechwan beef and rice for me and chicken for W. I walk back, noticing electrical boxes dangling from the trees along the street. (That can't be good!)

The hoya vine on the Porch is flowering again, scenting the entry. The little (6"/15cm) pot half-filled with soil seems unlikely to support the lush growth but it blooms off and on all year.

W and I stay on the Porch for a few hours, reading and wrapping up post-Gathering Sunday chores.

Monday

We walk all 3 dogs on a leash, with Anton occasionally jumping over Juno's back toward cats. W drapes the leash behind his legs so Anton is pulled back if he tugs - his choice.

The beautifully woven standard from the weekend's wedding has been pulled down. Now it's just strips of grass that will be burned with whatever else is lying along the street.

We take some calls and work while the morning is young. W and our grandkids enjoy the gaming aspects (and competitive nature) of the Duolingo language app. I just want the information. W has a streak of +1300 unbroken days while I'm at 1100. We have completely different experiences. He uses his computer and is learning quickly. Because he likes music and background noise, he constantly plays Indonesian jazz radio. He hears more language. Meanwhile, I crave silence to refresh my sanity.

The pine cones from last week's hike are starting to dry and open.

I write next Sunday's talk, toss the ball for Anton, and start writing the introduction to my book. After 2 hours, my focus is kaput. Meanwhile, W leads a hybrid study = online and in person.

On some trip, I bought an Indian cuisine packet (spinach paneer). I mix it with azuki beans. Along with okra and mushrooms, it's a healthy lunch.

Tuesday

Juno comes to be petted after her morning wriggle in the garden. What a mess - though the mud flakes off and she'll be dry within an hour.

During a few meetings online, I throw the ball for Anton to run off some of his energy. It works. When we walk the neighborhood, Anton ignores 5 cats without jumping at them. Wow. That's never happened so is worth noting in my journal. ha.

Look at this pretty clump that is fruiting along the neighbor's driveway.

Fruit and flowers are constantly in season.

I taste the Raw "Brownies" I made last night: no eggs, gluten, or dairy. Pretty good! Here's how to make it for yourself:

• Soak in hot water for 15 minutes: 1 1/2 c raw or roasted walnuts and 1 1/2 c dates. (Can adjust the size with 1 part walnuts; 1 part dates = as long as you have at least 1 c. of each.)
• Drain off the water. Add 4 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa, 1-2 Tbsp chia seeds, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1/4 tsp salt.
• Blend in a blender until fairly smooth.
• Press into a lined pan or roll into balls. (I lined a 5"X7" teflon saucepan and pressed the mixture flat into it.)
• Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

110 people have signed up for movie night tomorrow. Only 70 can fit comfortably in the house and Porch. I shop for salads and prepare sauces for movie night (tomorrow). PakG drives me "straight down the hill" to the supermarket and back.

Team meeting is online today. After that, we check on the project. It's coming along ... the roofline is almost done. I get an idea of the trajectory of the sun for transplanting our garden in a few months. Much of the ground is in deep shade under tall pines.

Back home, I think about lighting and imagine the hallway: 4 sockets in a row. What do we already have ... besides the white IKEA paper globes that cover every naked bulb in our place?

Hmmm? Didn't we get bulb covers on a trip years ago to a handmade paper factory in Chang Mai? Yes - there are 4 small ones for the hall plus a larger cover for another room. Good enough!

For supper, I feel like eating crepes. It takes a few minutes to whip them up and a few more for W and me to enjoy them with orange marmalade and whipping cream. Want the recipe? I usually heat 2-3 little saucepans (6-8") at once, so it's a quick process.

SIMPLE CREPES

Mix together: 

• 1 c flour
• 1 tsp each baking powder, vanilla (optional), and sugar (optional)*
• pinch of salt

Beat together:

• 1 T melted butter
• 1.5 c milk
• 1-2 eggs

Whisk the dry and wet ingredients together until the batter is minimally lumpy. (HINT: A pourable measuring cup will make it easy to add batter to the pan.)

Swirl oil/butter around a hot pan, dumping excess fat from the pan into a glass measuring cup. (Reuse that hot butter/oil between crepes to re-grease the pan.)

Pour 2-3 T batter into one end of the oiled hot pan. Tilt the pan to cover the bottom with a very thin layer of batter.

Cook for up to 2 minutes. When the batter is dry on top, the crepe can be tipped out of the pan onto a serving plate. No need to bake it on both sides.

*If you skip the sugar and vanilla, it's ideal for savory fillings.

W and I have read the Sunday talk so I confirm events on the weekly calendar: women's study (hopefully), movie night, a hike, a family-style supper and travel night, and a potluck on the weekend. Sounds like a lot of cooking, eating, and people, doesn't it?

Read more:
*Put away the foreign gods that are among you and incline your hearts to the Lord. Joshua 24:23

*Paul said, “I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.” Acts 20:20-21

*Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human authority; whether to the emperor as the supreme authority or to the governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong adn to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.

Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil. Live as God's slaves. Show proper respect to everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honor the emperor. 1 Peter 2:11-17

Moravian Prayer: God, when we stray, guide us back to your loving embrace. Grant us the courage to repent, the strength to seek forgiveness, and the humility to return to your divine presence. This we pray in the name of your son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Back to teaching

Monday, August 4, 2025

My friend Gail Johnsen and I teach a Singapore class online this week. We've co-taught this doctorate-level course before.

After a short neighborhood walk with the dogs, W accompanies me to the office to check that the Zoom call is ready to go. Nope! It's a good thing he is there; the internet needs rebooting. He tries everything and then connects me to a different router. Whew. In-house tech support. He heads home while I teach 4 hours. These students are attentive, experienced, and interactive.

We eat a quick lunch at Maxis. Our helper volunteers at a preschool this morning and isn't around to cook for the household. We meet PakG backing the car out of the gate to get his lunch, which feels a bit strange. (His son has his motorcycle?) He drops off a banana bread at a friend's and brings more bananas from her.

It pours rain in the afternoon. No working on the Porch for me. Besides pacing out the class hours for tomorrow, I draw up a final lighting plan for the project. W prints an oversized copy for the aging eyes of the electrician and me. 

In my mind's eye, people are already sitting around tables, enjoying each other's company. While parts of the renovation are exciting, much of it only "shows potential" at this stage. Most of the damp and falling-down ceilings have been removed. Some will be replaced with drywall. In other rooms, like this one, the concrete ceiling will be painted and left exposed for additional height.

Tuesday

I'm in the classroom before 7 AM. The Singapore host lets me in and off we go! We have so much to cover that I'm resigned to not finishing 10 days of material in 2 days - but we actually wrap up the last slides with minutes to spare.

Doctoral cohorts may be small but they are interesting. This cohort makes class presentations and handles their Q&As professionally. When we're done, the comments are enthusiastic and the takeaways are on point for the first two days. I send them my PowerPoint and ask them to review it before tomorrow. Dr Gail takes the next two days. Friday is a review day.

During one break, I lean over the third floor balcony to see what's going on next door to the office. The roofs get in the way of the stunning landscaped park on a half-acre. It's complete with a security house and toilet. We've only seen it from the street, through the gate in the 10-12' front wall.

 

During another break, I look on the other side of the office to another neighbor's yard. They were starting to garden during the pandemic when I used the balcony. Now the gardens are lush, with a greenhouse, vegetables, French lavender, and other European herbs. Ah, I was wondering where I'd find lavender for the next garden. Maybe there?

My computer/thermos/books/binder/art supply-bag is heavy. W carried it to the office for me but he's in Jakarta by noon, picking up our passports from the USA embassy. I tote it home myself, bag on one shoulder, purse on the other, and my tall tea mug firmly in hand.

When everything's put away, it's time to eat the delicious nasa goring sapi (fried rice with beef) that IbuA has prepared. While I'm in class, she and IbuS baked 6 banana breads. The whole house smells sweet. I set one aside for them to take home.

After lunch, I smash together walnuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, and black currents for IbuS's home-baked loaf. SO good. I'm ready for a nap, having had a short and restless night with too much to think about (= including wondering how class would get through all the material. Yay, we did it.)

All but one of the team have inescapable obligations during our weekly meeting time. Since this week's reflection is a good one that we'll want to do together,  the meeting is postponed to next week. I set aside one banana bread for the person who showed up = attendee bonus.

The sky clouds over into a soothing backdrop for rest. By the time it rains, I'm inside and working in warm comfort.

Wednesday

I'm up early so call Mom to find out how her 90th birthday party went. She's full of life and memories. "It was a foretaste of heaven. Everyone was in unity and it made me think of how wonderful heaven will be." She talks about her peacemaking calling, "Since I was a child, I didn't want stress between people. I just wanted everyone to get along." She has fostered that, accepting those she meets without judgement. I end the call, happy to have time with her.

 

We drop by the project. We take a few measurements to see if the wooden desk being taken out of one room can be repurposed to fix a cupboard. (Shelves were stolen long ago.)

A chameleon is sunning itself on the ledge.

Thieves have broken in overnight to steal the crew's welder, pump, and cables. That's a financial loss to local workers who will have to replace them. But then, criminals rarely consider those they hurt. Until God changes a heart, no amount of rituals can transform a person.

Two young neighbors hailed W outside the locked gate as we walked by. They asked W if they can be our night guards ... even before we discovered the theft. Obviously, someone saw the thief who broke in last night and has told others.

We have our date breakfast at Nara Park. Cats walk in and out of restaurants here.

We watch the servers set up a picnic theme for a birthday party later today. Hmmm, it's definitely for kids. Partygoers our age might easily get down but not everyone could get up again. hehehe

I have the usual - noodles, "popcorn" dumplings, and 3 kinds of hot sauce.

Back home, the yardman starts digging up shrubs. What?! 

We hadn't planned to transfer the garden until late this month or October when the rains come. I quickly draw a yard map and show the yardman where to plant larger plants that provide the structure. There's a separate planting page for each area. He says he understands the plan. (Now to see where the plants end up!)

I've forgotten to spray myself with DEET and the mosquitoes start to eat me alive. Oh yeah! run inside to slather my skin.

Read more:

*Is it not you, O Lord our God? We set our hope on you. Jeremiah 14:22

*Do not devise evil in your hearts against one another. Zechariah 7:10

*God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his son. 1 John 5:11

*Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 1 Peter 3:8

Moravian Prayer: Dear divine Creator, grant us the strength to endure life’s trials, the wisdom to navigate challenges, and the courage to face uncertainty. May hope be our guiding light, illuminating our path with resilience and optimism. 

Gracious God, inspire us to embody the profound command of Christ: to love one another selflessly. May our hearts overflow with compassion, kindness, and understanding, fostering a world united in the bond of love. Amen.

Wooh - hoo (for a train ride)

 Friday, July 25, 2025

Our friends join the morning walk with the dogs. The locals are astonished that 2 young girls can walk Gypsy and Juno, both big dogs. 

We refresh the fish that died when the big pond sprang leak. The mosquito-eating tropical fish got moved to the old bathtubs at the back of the yard, but didn't thrive. We take the girls and their mom to "fish street" and the bird market 2 km further. The sharp beaks of our lovebirds and budgies have worn out the old ladders and exercise toys.

We meet Jojo, their dad for lunch at Mike Pizza. He's attending an Allstate Insurance conference this weekend so he heads back to work after we eat.

I grade papers but it's not a focused day. My desk is cluttered with notes for the next teaching session. 

Saturday

We do a brisk walk at 6AM with the dogs. The kids miss us by a few minutes - we're already out the gate. I make crepes for breakfast - and we pray together over the day. The kids run around the yard - Anton is loving having them to roughhouse with him.

A 2-hour meeting with a mentor brings clarity and peace. "Compartmentalize," is my takeaway. With so many things in motion, it's healthier not to throw everything into one whirlpool. 

Sunday

We talk about holiness and love - most rule-keepers seem to get sourer and sourer in character, but God promises that being set apart to him (holiness) will make us more loving. Afterward, we open the house to a group that has come to meet and eat lunch on the Porch.

We finish packing and leave for the train station and have lunch kababs at our usual place. W offers to split a Magnum ice cream bar but gets to eat the whole thing when it looks like this...

The ride to Jakarta is smooth and uneventful.

Old trestles built by the Dutch still stand.

But the scenery ...

Here's what happens when you favor a cowboy hat but have to wear a hard hat to work. (The guy in the back is wearing a baseball cap under his hard hat.

Beside the old railway line, men are digging holes and building forms by hand for pouring cement.

I scroll my phone and see a statistic that's hard to believe, given the current noise in the press.

A Bluebird taxi ($4) gets us from the train station to the Holiday Express Inn. Traffic is a mix of walkers, horses, three wheeled , motorcycles, cars, and trucks. Oh - don't forget the sellers pulling their handcarts through it all.

Artwork in the lobby is a vibrant collage of colors and shapes. W has gotten us 2 nights for $76, a 20-minute walk from the USA embassy. 

We walk to #LittleArabia nearby. Our meals are excellent ($12 for both). We'll definitely come back if we're in this part of Jakarta.

Night falls as we eat. I like the landscape lighting strip along the road.

We've come into the city for an embassy appointment first thing tomorrow. Sleep tight, everyone!

Read more:

*Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord:

“I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.

“The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh’s officers are drowned in the Red Sea. The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone.

Your right hand, Lord, was majestic in power. Your right hand, Lord, shattered the enemy. Exodus 15:1-6

*The Lord brought me out into a broad place; he delivered me because he delighted in me. Psalm 18:19

*[Paul writes:] By the grace of God, I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:10

Moravian Prayer: Amazing God, you delight in us! Our imperfections aside, you genuinely love us just as we are, and you delight in meeting us where we are. We may be in the darkest recesses of our own hearts, or we may be frolicking in the fields of joy. Either way, your grace abounds! Amen.