Montana musings

Wednesday, June 26, 2024

I take a quick walk after breakfast. The Missouri thunder storm of the night has passed and the wind is whistling cool air past my face.

The hotel is as basic as a student dorm. The cleaners don't vacuum, clean the toilet, or make the bed. They leave fresh towels. Hmmm. We left a tip before we went to meetings today. No tip tomorrow.

It's warm outside; I used to think Springfield was humid. Now it's comfortable when I wear long sleeves. I pull on a jacket in rooms with air conditioning. I miss my porch at home (below).

And I look forward to our basement apartment in Seattle.

In the evening, we attend a NWMN meeting with many friends. This gal is cousin to a university classmate of 47 years ago.

Thursday

We walk in the morning, admiring the flowers.

There's a park nearby, nearly empty - except for a family walking their dogs.

We miss the finale of the conference: we're getting up at 2:30 a.m. to head for the airport in the morning.

Friday

We fly out of Springfield at 5:00 a.m., land in Dallas, and are on the last leg before we know it.

It's sweet to see the fields of Kalispell appear around noon.

The airport has a hairy greeter waiting as you walk into the terminal.

Mitch and Keelee have cleaned the cabin on their stay this week. We enjoy a Vietnamese lunch together before they head home.

They accompany us to Costco, where we stock up on basic foods for the week ahead. The fragrance of these roses stops me in my tracks in a grocer's parking lot.

The campground is gorgeous - quiet, beautifully maintained, and peaceful.

Coming into the cabin in like coming home. The wide-plank reclaimed barn boards, the furniture that used to belong to a friend's grandma, the giclée print of a famous Western painting, rehoused lamps and other giveaways. There's all here from when we set up 20+ years ago.

Keelee has left me a "knotty" beauty, tatting that warms my heart. I put it in the entry for our grandkids to discover. It's now part of cabin history.

Saturday

Walking. It's a gift in the forest roads. From 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 pm, we're cleaning and clearing out remnants of the past. We stop for a burger at MudMan in Columbia Falls.

The food is so good.

I find a ledger my dad kept accounts in from his 1960s business partnership with a Winnipeg friend. Wow - when did I drag that here? It's great for grocery lists.

In the afternoon, there's a craft and food fair put on by campers. One of our friends is a well-known birder. Check out his title if you like birds.

I pull bugs and dead wasps from the window screens.

I like the "one-off" moments, reuniting with a friend not seen for 12 years and another close in heart for 30 years.

We attend the evening camp service, enjoying the presence of God with old friends and new.

Sunday

Our children begin to arrive. We made so many memories when this place became our summer home in 1994. They settle in and unpack.

Monday

The last carload arrives before noon. We're missing our youngest son but the rest of the family - kids and grandkids - are here.

Monday

There's beauty, wildflowers and planted flowerbed, everywhere on the walks. Kirsten and I stroll through the lanes. We walk miles every day. It's high elevation but flat.

The lupines attract bees so we stay away from them.

Tuesday

After breakfast, there’s a ladies coffee in the lodge. The stories of how God has been speaking to women at camp, plus the prayer of a dear friend, begin to restore my tired soul. Summer! is a good friend of Kirsten's from college days - she pops by to visit. 

We get to pray for each other before she heads back to work in a nearby city.

The morning gathering is about the mystery if God's invitation: he is not just interested in one people group, but wants all to become his family - the people of God (Eph.3). 

I watch the grandkids and their mom zipline before taking a nap - the mountain air knocks me out, especially since I usually sleep 10:30-4:00, the hours of darkness in this north Montana town. Kirsten, Melissa, and I stroll past the shore of the beautiful clear river. It's carrying spring run-off from the mountain slopes. In a month or two, it will be lower and calmer.

Our kids head out for supper while W and I walk with the grandkids. They pose for a pic in this cute golf cart, the preferred mode of transportation for old-timers.

The kids are fascinated by Forniers' squirrel feeder and watch the critters take peanuts from the ingenious holder.

Paul arrange pickup of the washer and dryer on our entry porch. We're donating them to the camp after picking up a new-to-us set.

The kids watch the forklift take away the used appliances.

Young Miss M takes her own photos of the process.

We enjoy baked potatoes and chicken with the grandkids while their parents take a siblings-night-out. After, W takes the youngsters to and area with wifi to do their Duolingo German lessons while I clean up. Timo has brought our Roomba from Seattle so there's no sweeping. The little robot picks up everything and docks itself to recharge.

I toss in a load of laundry while everyone is gone. That's cabin life at its finest. What a privilege to be here.

Read more:

*O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 106:1

Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17

Moravian Prayer: Creator God, the landscape and people around us are evidence of your power and majesty. When considering your all-encompassing love, we can’t help but enter this day praising your holy name. Enable each day’s thoughts and actions to be an expression of gratitude. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Soft landing in Missouri

Friday, June 21, 2024

Last night, we arrived at the Sleep Inn (basic) at 11:30pm, 48.5 hours after leaving home. PakG drove us from Bandung to the Jakarta airport on Thursday morning (Jakarta time). We overnight at the Anaya Hotel before 4 flights that start in the early morning. We land in Narita (Tokyo), LAX, Dallas, and then Missouri. The flights are uneventful. There's not much sleep for me, though W easily dozes on each leg. At the Springfield baggage conveyer, I stand between several people wearing Christian message T-shirts. They are friendly and chat freely.

W was appalled at the car rental prices until he found a 5-seat pickup truck for under $300. We agree that we don't care what vehicle we're driving. The friendly Avis rep at the airport informs us: "We don't have the truck you booked. We have a farm pickup or a KIA Serento. Your choice." It's a nice bonus. (No, we don't choose the old pickup.)

Our luggage has made 3 of 4 legs of the trip: it's resting overnight in Dallas. We have bare basics in our carryons: W finds a long-sleeved top; I don a light coat and socks. We turn the air conditioning up to a bearable warmth. Rooms are COLD here; most air-conditioners are set to high, with blasting fans and under 19o/70C. Brrr. After taking a sleeping pill, I pull a sleep mask over my eyes, pop in construction-grade earplugs, and fall asleep like the dead. 

The manager of the hotel moves us to a first floor room, rather than the third storey that was booked. No stairs for us this time. (Too bad; he thinks he is doing us a favor.) I check my fitness tracker: 12000 steps, 21 flights (up only, more down), and over 5 miles of walking yesterday. We're shocked by how tall and overweight people are in the airports; many struggle to walk the flat hallways and pull a carry-on. While I feel heavy and big in Indonesia, here I'm smaller than average. It's one weird part of readjusting to life in the USA. We have been away for a while. 

I'm barely awake at 6:30, but fall back into sleep until 7:15. We toddle down three long halls to breakfast: biscuits and gravy, a waffle, yogurt, and tea. I skip the donut case and pastries. (Congealed fat, artificial flavors, and sugar?) No thanks. I can barely eat what's on my plate.

There's nothing an Indonesian would choose for sarapan (breakfast). No rice. This is also part of the adjustment: we reenter the culture with an outsider's perspective, wondering what our Indonesian friends would choose for their meal. Comparison is instinctive. Expats are cautioned to observe but not to judge where we land by where we serve. There's good in every place.

We sit near 2 men: a huge father and son are talking about a woman they know. "She needs to lose weight if she wants to reach 60 years old." These guys must be 300-350 lbs. (150 kg). W lifts his eyebrows in surprise at the conversation. Perspective. Perspective.

Today's agenda is simple. We shop for basic clothing (the airline will cover this); eat lunch with friends; attend a financial info seminar; then take time to adjust to the clock and climate - it's over 90oF/32oC every day. I find a bag full of jewelry that needs sorting - there are several $100 necklaces in the tangle. Now to take apart the mess that customers made, throwing it together ...

Over the next few days, I pull apart 65 necklaces, 5 bracelets, and 10 pieces of jewelry that need repair. Each goes into a separate snack bag so we don't snarl them up again. I estimate the retail between $1000 - $2,000. At +30c eat, that's good enough.

Saturday

We walk a couple of miles around the neighborhood and the park near the hotel. Then it's off to register for the conference. We have lunch at a fantastic Vietnamese restaurant - Hong Yen. The service is good, the food is excellent. There's an opening session for the Asian region where we are noted as having served 10 years. Others are celebrated at retirement for 47 and 50 years of service abroad. Wow.

We go back to the hotel to change clothes and spend the evening at a reception. The food is excellent. The table conversation is lively.

Sunday

We wake at 8:00 and are a few minutes late for the working walk, service, and picnic at a beautiful shaded park.

We exchange stories with coworkers and friends.

Mid-afternoon, we're ready to rest - jet lag is real. We're asleep by 10:30 p.m.

Monday

I wake at 1:30 a.m. and don't sleep until 6:30, no matter what I try.. When W's alarm goes off at 7:30,  he goes for breakfast. I can't take one more look of sausage and gravy or a waffle. I have a yogurt in the fridge, which I consume before showing and tidying the room. It's humid here - today' it's supposed to get over 100oF (38oC) but the room we meet in has air-conditioning so cold that everyone from the tropics is in sweaters and coats. I makes sure I have warm shoes and socks on, plus a light jacket.

Barbara and I visit over lunch. She's a faithful mentor and friend but it's been years since we've met in person. Barbara' files helped fill in gaps for my dissertation. I'm so grateful for trailblazers like she is.

I get to visit Ashley in the university library before heading into the afternoon session. Her mom Kim and I are good friends. We send her mom the picture.

We have a team barbecue before heading home at night. It feels like we do nothing but sit and eat. Good information though.

Tuesday

I crashed at 10:00 last night but I sleep in until 8:00 ... with the help of a sleeping pill. Whew. That's 10 hours of rest.

The meetings are helpful. Then we enjoy lunch with Sam and Shellie. The two kiddos who come along are darling. Their parents are doing a great job; they're well-behaved (and cute)!

In the evening, friends drop by with their new computer. W transfers the information from old to new machine. I update a class syllabus and send it off.

Read more:

*O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 107:1

*I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters. Psalm 22:22

*Paul wrote: I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin. Galatians 1:11

Moravian Prayer: O Savior of all, in you we have found our answer to the needs of our lives and the world. We confess that, at times, we are reluctant to share the good news of your love and power with those whose lives we touch. We shrink back from being your witnesses. Forgive us. Cause your spirit to move within us, inspiring and emboldening us to share the good news we have found in you. Amen.

A fresh look

A little humor goes a long way!
from Wall Vinyl

Around this time of year, winter doldrums seem to be closing in. How can we take a fresh look at our surroundings to renew ourselves? Here are a few ideas:

1. Let's be grateful for what we have. Aren't you glad to be you when you read the news, turn on the TV, or hear about hardships others go through? Me too! Let's focus on what's GOOD rather than our challenges when we can.
2. Add color and spice. Whether it's to our food, our living room, or our life, incorporating bright tastes and hues cheers us and perks us up.
3. Change things around. Is what we're doing not working for us? What small changes would provide a boost, right now?
   
   Here's an example: I hate (yes, hate, not merely dislike) walking up our driveway and street to where my walk levels out. The steep hill daunts me and I'm resistant to the effort, even though it's not physically difficult. Something about that slope repels me, especially in winter.
   
   I've begun driving to the top of the hill, parking the car, and walking for 2-3 mostly level miles before running errands. Sure, driving is ecologically unfriendly. It would be healthier to walk out my door, tromp to the top, and cruise the flats before descending to my doorway. But I've talked myself out of walking for 4 months.
   
   It's definitely time to shake things up a little. Though skipping the steep hike is not the best possible plan, avoiding the hill is working for me! Which routines could use tweaking for your maximum benefit?
   
   

   

   Imagine living in this calm, clutter-free space,
   from Apartment Therapy

4. Find one word to motivate and focus your attention. Some of us chose one word as an anti-New Year's resolution. (If you don't have one, what concept resonates with your spiritual life, mental health, and physical well-being? Condense it to one word.) Let's align our activities with that so we don't waste our time and energy to reap regrets ... or nothing at all.
   
   My word's gratitude, releasing the past to embrace the present and future with a thankful heart. What's yours?
5. Live one day at a time. Life may feel overwhelming or grey. Usually we can take one step after another, even when the pace is slow or halting. Put one foot in front ... again and again to see where the path takes us.
   
   If the way is cluttered, simplify your expectations and your surroundings.
6. Look ahead in anticipation. "I'm an optimist," said a key donor who who helped raise a pledge for $330 million within a month. His goal was to save artwork in the Detroit Institute of Art from the auction block.
   
   "Did you think you would be this wildly successful?" asked the NPR interviewer this morning.
   
   "Well yes. Remember, I'm optimistic and always hope for the best."
   
   What a great attitude. When things look darkest, a rainbow or a ray of sunshine my begin to emerge. Let's not miss it!
7. Finally, share your life and resources with others. Focus outwardly to be happier! Volunteer. Give. Spend yourself on behalf of other people. What you gives comes back to you - even if it's just a realization that God is good and we have a lot to share.

Read more:

*Praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven. Psalm 148:13 ESV

*Surely, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life. Psalm 54:4 ESV

*The Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 ESV

*Moravian Prayer: Almighty God, we praise your name. Lord, we worship and adore you, for you are our strength and our shield against the evils that we encounter daily. You are always faithful and never fail your obedient children. As you direct us, we trust in your divine wisdom. Amen.