Contracts and recipes and cooking, anyone?

Monday, February 24, 2025

Lunch with Alan and Jani is always a pleasure. We meet at #Homeground to enjoy some Chinese-ish foods. OOOOH - it's very spicy today ... and I usually like spicy. We eat it anyway, our mouths on fire.

On the street, this black velvet butterfly has seen better days. It's too exquisite to pass without noticing though.

Bamboo loves the rain. Look at the frilly canopy overhead.

We chat with SamP about his role as liaison in new ventures. He's in Indonesia for a few weeks to connect local creators who have customizable products with  American vendors. Look at this jacket!

He has other great ideas. W is his taster for individual filters with customized coffee.

I share our contacts, sending a note to them that he may be in touch. (Most people don't like to be solicited out of the blue.)

The garden is in pinks again. Sometimes the flowers rest; sometimes everything blooms at once.

I download a dozen books to review. Last week I listened to this one: a controversial but honest look at how American values mix with Christ's call to his followers. I'm convicted and reread it to see what challenge belongs to me.

I've recommended the FutureMe app to friends and counselors for years = you write a letter to your future self and schedule it to arrive on a specific date. It's been working great to spotlight progress or regression in various areas of life.

I'm irritated when FutureMe informs me that my free account expired last May. What? Sudden warning? Um not true anyway. I wrote something in January. Now there's suddenly no access to past letters unless I buy a plan? (The letters already waiting for delivery from last year are gone. Unless I pay to get them.) Ugh.

Tuesday

W's churning through the final chapters in his book. I haven't had time or capacity to read or edit its thick theology but today's the day. First, I attend a few online meetings, pray for others, and explain the day's chores to the helpers. Today they're redoing the bedding, serving tea, and cooking lunch, in addition to general cleaning.

Someone asks if we have decorative items to sell as she opens a second office. Blankets or a cloth slung over a sofa?

A grouping of items?

Maybe some paintings? Or? (So many options! Tell me more.)

Our landlord's mom and sisters have come from Jakarta. Our neighbor and his friend  introduce us to the family and they join us for tea. They thanks us for maintaining their house in good order.  They are relieved when we give them copies of the rental contract and other paperwork they're compiling since the death of PakH a few months ago.

It's a delight to meet Ibu Wigar's lovely 87-yr-old sister, who looks just like she did. (Our neighbor Ibu Wigar asked us to live here when she moved into another family home. She has since passed away.) They are descendants in the royal line of a Sundanese king.

W joins the girls-only photo. Like IbuW, her sister is a wonderful gardener. We gather seeds from the garden for her to take along. The family offers us a complimentary stay in their Bogor rental villa either with a group or alone. What a gorgeous property! (Let's see who wants to join us.)

IbuS has made a second attempt at 3-ingredient biscuits, which we enjoy at tea with other baking. The original recipe didn't specify self-rising flour so we baked little rocks yesterday. (The dogs liked them.) As easy as it gets?

1, 2, 4 Biscuits

1. Preheat oven to 350 F (175C) and grease 12 muffin cups.
2. Stir together and add to muffin pan:

1 cup milk

2 cup self-rising flour (or 2 c. flour plus 4 teaspoons baking soda)

4 tablespoons mayonnaise

    3. Bake 15 minutes or until golden.

Yum. They're tasty with honey.

After the guests leave, we have lunch and I finally get to editing W's book. The afternoon and the crashes of the thunderstorm overhead have passed before I'm done. I learn a new Indonesian word for "cheer": bersorak. 

I've promised the family the photo of PakH dressed in traditional robes at our house. It's a sweet memory of a nice man and was our last snapshot together. I'm glad he asked for the picture to confirm the contract for our ongoing lease in 2019.

I hunt through my photos for an hour without luck. Then I open my blog and search for "prince." He was a princely descendent of the old Sunda kingdom. There he is. With the date established, I find the picture in my file.

Wednesday

Cooking starts at 4:15 AM. Yay for jet lag. I drink tea and tidy as I go. There are always splatters to wipe up = so much easier to remove when they're fresh. The spaghetti sauce had a moment when the heat was high ... the stove, floor, and pot are suddenly dotted with orange. Oops.

I finish all but one sauce by 7:30 so we go for a walk with the dogs. We decide not to eat at this nearby restaurant. They must have lax management: they're the only eatery whose security guys leave garbage and scraps along the street. Old rags and other debris stay on the ground for days.

The satpams sit and chat or smoke without sweeping the back parking lot or moving broken refuse. Today there's an a discarded tire as well. If the kitchen employees are as inattentive, the food won't be safe.

We meet our supervisors to account for what we've accomplished and what we plan in 2025. Another meeting lasts until mid-morning. I'm feeling peckish so W and I split leftovers from Sunday's lunch: good noodles in sweet broth.

It's time for a break; the helpers come at 3:00 PM and my cooking resumes at 4:30 PM. We can hardly wait to see our global mix of "kids" - the young adults who will show up tonight for dinner and a movie.

Read more:

*The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23

*The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through wisdom your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer. Proverbs 9:10-12

*God, the Lord, is my strength. Habakkuk 3:19

*So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16

Moravian Prayer: Our Strength and Motivation, sometimes we lose heart. We lose the fire that you set in us to blaze for you. Help us to search inside ourselves for the light that will never be dimmed. Strengthen us to be your hands and feet in the world. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Mama mia!

Friday, October 4, 2024

My mom's 88 and W's mom is 92. Neither is in good health so it's a gift to be able to return annually. We will visit twice this trip, during our first and last week.

We leave Seattle early in the morning for the 2 1/2 hour drive to Canada. It takes less than that long to remember what was so difficult about living here: GREY! October through April = grey skies, grey-green and grey-blue plants, grey-brown bare tree trunks ...

When the sun comes out, the blackberries (foreground, below) pop out green while the rest of the landscape stays grey. In a month, even their vines will be ... brown-grey. It's obvious that few can afford helpers. Untrimmed trees, weeds, and overgrown plants dominate the yards and grow in tufts along the highways.

W drops me off at my mom's in our hometown of Chilliwack and drives to see his mom in Langley. Autumn is definitely here. The big trees are shedding leaves. Their colors boast a last hurrah before the dark winter.

It's fun to catch up with my family and meet Mom's caregivers. Today, Tracy is at the house. I've never seen such a divine flow of helpers. Each one is respectful and a person of integrity. Mom practices ringing the bell on her night table before swinging her feet out of bed. That way someone is always with her when she walks. It's nice to meet Barb in the evening, too.

After W returns, my brother Norm drops in with a supper pizza.

Saturday

Mom sleeps in while I contact the siblings and family. I send everyone pictures: "What do you want from Mom's house?"

Sandy has asked me to label items by preference. I take heed of the family's requests and put their names on a strip of masking tape. There are some wild items from long-ago travels, before conservation was government-mandated.

Mom hasn't changed the house much, adding to the collection of photos, cards, and picture albums without taking things away. So the house is a kickback to the 1970s. Yes, that is original red shag carpet - wall-to-wall. Might be my fault. Mom narrowed down a few colors in the carpet swatch when they were building the house.

"I like the red!" I told her - and was surprised and happy when she agreed. That's what they ordered. No one else I know was that brave. It's in good shape, 52 years later.

Mom remains the glue that holds my 3 brothers and me together since Dad died 3 years ago. She talks regularly to each of us, scattered around the world. Then she brags on us and shares our news with the others.

We have a running joke: "Who is the favorite?" (I tell our kids, "Whoever is in front of me is the favorite, of course.")

But when Norm asks Mom that, she slips around the question with, "You are one of my favorites." haha. He should be the favorite son. He sees that she gets wonderful and consistent 24-hr care and can live at home. Well, his admin Sandy does that with excellent organizational skills and her connections.

Mom, W, and I eat lunch, hers prepared by Barb while W's and mine is leftover pizza. Yum.

The drive to Seattle goes across an empty border. After 2 quick stops for items to take back home to Indonesia, we stop for supper at Burgermaster off the freeway. I can only eat half of my burger.

 It's always lovely to come to our flat. The flowers by the door are ready for a top-up of water. 

The foraged seeds find their place on the book table.

We read tomorrow's talk together and prepare our hearts for the morning.

Sunday

During the night, I finish the book of Job and the first 20 Psalms. Jetlag can be useful for listening to scripture. Listening to the praises of God from the songs of David, my heart is full. 

I eat the second half of my burger for breakfast. I'm working my way through cupboards and food. Today I choose an Earl Grey Bravo leaf tea. Oh look! W must have purchased some glass thermoses. I try one out with the tea leaves. The strainer on top of the water keeps the leaves out of my cup.

It's quickly obvious that you have to hold the handle of the strainer as you pour or it shifts. I dump the leaves and tea from my cup and start again ...

We speak at a local congregation today. Part of our work involves raising funds for projects like sembako (food for the poor) and education. Another piece of what we do is raising awareness among prayer partners. We do our best but it's a quick trip as usual.

Monday

It's a learning day. At NU, Cathy and Kevin take us through organizational and spiritual leadership for teams. They're informative and funny. I find the solution for some challenges and get a heads up about a few mistakes with my own team. A very useful day indeed.

Read more:

*Even the nations are like a drop from a bucket and are accounted as dust on the scales. Isaiah 40:15

*Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of gentiles also? Yes, of gentiles also. Romans 3:29

*I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the congregation I will praise you. Hebrews 2:12

Moravian Prayer: God of all, your glorious creation is a gift. We pledge to care for all you have laid out before us. From the smallest insects to the great trees of the forest, like us, they are yours. Most of all, we will work to care for the people of the Earth in the ways you have taught us. Help us to care for others with the love that comes from you. Amen.

Noodle week

Sunday, September 22, 2024

We're up early to gather things for the hall. Prayer is one of our most enjoyable preparations for the day ahead.

Hanny is speaking today, with the help of Alice as translator. They're a good team.

Two ladies are working on a Women's Life Group, probably starting in November. That will give women time to share their opportunities and challenges in light of scripture.

We eat lunch with friends at #WarungEthnic.

When we arrive at the house, a gathering of young families is on the Porch. They do a parenting seminar and clean up so well that all that's left is a Jenga game in the nook. Oh - we get several requests for the peanut butter cookies and the chocolate banana bread baked by IbuS and IbuA. I send those out right away.

Monday

It's a day of meetings. I talk to one university dean online and go see another in her office after lunch. Bandung is full of universities: at least 30 campuses of higher education.

The past few weeks, I've been recruiting faculty and student volunteers for a community service project led by IES young people. I like doing interviews and enjoy meeting new people, so it's more fun than work. The deans tend to be curious about the world and genuinely concerned about their students and faculty.

I take along IbuS' chocolate banana cake for the deans. "Yum!" they agree.

Tuesday

Though we're wrapping up a long checklist this week (grading, writing, sermon prep, and meetings), we stroll to #NaraPark for date morning. We polish off spicy noodles (mine) and bread rolls covered in brown sugar (W's).

Half the morning is spend grading and writing reviews. (My 3BooksFull blog lists 182 reviews this year, but I review about half of what I read.

Meanwhile, thunder and lightening sweeps across the mountains into the valleys. Hearing the storm swell overhead, I unplug my computer. Whew. The electricity goes out with a direct "BANG" on the lightning rod of the house. The dogs hide under my desk and in the shower.

After a few conversations and business calls, the day is in full swing. Laurel comes for lunch before the team meets online. I get a WA reminder that a guest arrives tomorrow. Thank God for helpers. Today they cook, do laundry, and change bedding, preparing for a busy week in the household.

 

Laurel is clearing her room and gifts us with grape juice and other kitchen goodies.

I see a quick recipe flash by in my photos, using rice wrappers to make noodles. Noodles are my favorite staple but this kind is new to me. Why not give it a try?

I combine fresh-chopped ginger and onion, soy sauce, peanut butter, a teaspoon of sugar, sesame seeds, and a bit of oil in a hot pan. The rice squares soak in warm water for 10 seconds before I cut them into strips. All that's left to do is to mix the whole bunch in 2 bowls: one for W and one for me. Delicious and done in 5 minutes.

Wednesday

An early 2-hour meeting takes the place of our morning walk. After, I talk to Mom as usual. And a bonus is a call to friends teaching in Europe.

I write a few more book reviews to clear out the backlog of interesting reading in my online library. As I plow through grading and administrative stuff, I get a WhatsApp: "I'll be there in 20 minutes." Hurrah! our friend from Jakarta is on her way.

We spend the afternoon together, eating lunch at Ethnic so she can try their rösti. Then we hang out on the Porch with tea and cakes. We got to know Tirza 15 years ago in Seattle, one of three young students who made a huge impression on us. The women represented their country so well that we assumed all Indonesians were smart, wonderful people.

After she heads back to the train station, we wrap up the day, put things away, and have one more cup of tea. Peppermint, of course.

Read more:

*Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. Psalm 111:1

*The Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced. Isaiah 50:7

*When Peter noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Matthew 14:30

*Praise our God, all you his servants and all who fear him, small and great. Revelation 19:5

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, and glory in your praise. Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting."

Then all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the Lord.” [Prayer from 1 Chronicles 17:34-36]

Fireworks and forests

Wednesday, July 3, 2024

The morning starts with coffee with Dr Joe. It's a warm and encouraging time with a respected former colleague. In the lodge, many animal heads hang from the lobby walls.

One encounters many cultures - and this one values hunting for meat and displaying the trophies of a kill.

A stuffed raccoon sits on a stairway ledge. There are also fish preserved in the stairwell.

Our cabin is cool due to the trees that have grown around it.

In the evening, we celebrate birthdays. K is turning 13 later this month. L turns 11, the others are 2 years behind.

We light the appropriate number of candles on each child's piece of cake. Thanks R for buying them and the cake! so we can celebrate as a family.

We pray together and call it a night.

Thursday - USA Day

In the morning, we head to the Historic Point for the annual family pictures. Our tradition is that whoever comes to the cabin will take that year's photo.

Kirsten is the first to leave. I drop her at the airport so she can fly home to Texas. She has a layover in Chicago, making a long loop for the airline convenience.

The camp hosts a parade in the afternoon. Bikes and golf carts loop around the main streets. The grandkids decorate their bicycles and senior dress up their golf cards to celebrate their country.

A walk takes me along the banks of the Flathead River.

The river is still too high for the gravel bars to be exposed. A few more weeks and people will be sitting and fishing on them.

There's a great variety of cabins, from old shacks to modern log homes.

I spot a Harley, one of many we've seen parading through the Canyon. The public roads are beautifully maintained so many bikers cruise between eastern and western Montana, admiring nature.

There's July 4 madness in the canyon, an event renowned for shooting off fireworks at night. Our family has done this for nearly 30 years. I went the first year and declared myself off limits for the flashing lights and booming explosions. The kids love it. They go off to spend their allowance with their dad and come back excited to participate.

Our son T takes videos of their enjoyment. "It rivals professional shows in intensity and color, if not in art," he remarks later. 

They're home before midnight but the booms and flashes end shortly before 1:00 a.m. I relax in our warm bed, thankful I don't have to get any closer to the "fun."

Friday

A minor earthquake shakes the cabin at 3:45 but I'm awake already. Two or three trans-continental trains rumble along the far hillside over the river in early morning each day. Their whistles oscillate across the valley.

Jer and R leave before noon. We say goodbye before we head into the last session of "Ephesians with Dr Joe." It's a good wrap-up of the apostle Paul's advice to love deeply - God first, worshipping him through prayer and understanding. Then we can love people through thoughtful service and kindness.

I'm late to the cabin for lunch after a conversation with the next generation of global workers. We encourage each other to persist and persevere in good work. Then I crash into an afternoon nap as usual. I wish I had energy to hang out and do the mom-and-pop things with the family but I need sleep. 

The kids and their mom splash at the pool in the next town (more work for their mom and fun for the kids). W and T run errands. In the evening, their family packs up to leave in the morning. W and I catch up on work and messages at the park across from the Lodge. In Indonesia, we have long-needled pines on the hillsides. But I miss the short-needed firs on the mountain slopes of Western Canada and USA that smell like Christmas all year along.

The Roomba vacuum circles the rooms, picking up lint, dust, and scraps that our sweeping leaves behind. When it runs out of power, I empty the full bin, plug it in to charge for another round, and send it off in another area. It goes back to Seattle in the morning, too.

We enjoy Snack Stand burgers, tater tots, and huckleberry ice cream. Golf carts line up so the elders can hang out in the big tent, too. At one point, I count 16!

Saturday

The meetings are done. The camp is leaking participants who are going home. Plenty of campers are spending a few extra days or months in this beautiful area. I've gone nowhere for a week and don't know if I'll explore or just relish the quiet time. 

M packs and loads up the car, T affixes the bike rack, and 

T and Opa help a little girl whose bike chain has fallen off. The chain is dragging but there are a few more adjustments before she pedals off. The young boys gather around to watch - a new skill in process for them. (The next day, she swings by to tell me her bike is working very well.)

Once the house is quiet, laundry takes up much of the day. I remake the beds so the rooms are guest-ready for the next group. I may dislike housework when I have to do it alone. But with the family buzzing around and lots of helpers during the week, we washed up together and it was a fun chore.

Extra bedding is returned to a donated cabinet that was so sturdy that I couldn't toss it. But it was also so ugly that I customized it by cutting white "Mac-Tac" into birch trees 25 years ago.

On another side of the room are books and games from our family's childhood collection. When Blockbuster video stores closed, we acquired a $25 shelf that works just fine.

I fill a big cup with water and walk outside the cabin with scissors in hand. It's 5 minutes to a wildflower bouquet ... quick and satisfying.

My priority 25 years ago in drawing cabin plans was maximizing usable space. There are 2 bunk rooms with 4 extra-long twins in each. As hoped, the youngsters claim those when they're here.

But I probably should have planned a staircase for people aging and those with physical challenges. Instead, there is a big storage closet under the steps, Most of us acclimate to the alternate treads but there's a creak-creak as we run up and down. W has a solution: he replaces the 15+yr old wooden braces with angle irons. He drill holes in the metal. Then he sands the pine treads. Before:

After:

Can you spot the 5 finished steps? The rest will be done soon. He seals the pine with water-based poly-crylic.

We attend a weekend service at the Canvas Church in Columbia Falls in the evening. 

It's a small but enthusiastic Gathering.

Sunday

We sleep in and watch our Indonesian church service online. The congregation is saying goodbye to Shibli, who has served on the IES Bandung team for more than a year. He is returning to Uganda this week. 

Before noon, we head for the Whitefish weekend art show. I'm surprised by what's available - this is no craft fair.

The boutique and specialty stores on the main street have prospered in the years we've been away. Look at this kitchen store!

We visit a few galleries. The skill level of artwork is stunning.

Someone wants almost $800US for a block of wood with oil paint slathered on it. We'll pass.

The window boxes are full of nursery flowers and wildflowers.

We eat hot pizza for lunch and cold pizza for suppertime in the cabin.

The sun's still up when we wrap up the day after 8:30 p.m. We catch up online and on calls and pray for those who request prayer.

Read more:

*Happy are those who consider the poor; the Lord delivers them in the day of trouble. Ps41:1

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. Hebrews 13:16

Moravian Prayer: O listening God, we confess that too often we overlook the needs of the poor, caught up in the web of our own challenges and concerns. We ask for the brilliant light of Christ to break the darkness of our selfishness, discovering that happiness is found in meeting others’ needs, just as did our Lord Jesus. Amen.