Fun and fashion

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Do you like to sort and clean as the season's change? We're in dry season, with dust and wind still hanging on. But all the autumn blogs from Europe and N America are inspiring me. Here the leaves are dropping because the trees are dry. 

Maybe the seasonal clear-out is a reaction against having too many interests. Or maybe we just have too much stuff?

I remember my parents doing a big decluttering once or twice a year as the seasons changed to from winter to spring and from summer to fall. Dad would go through the garage and haul everything out, check it, and reorganize (and toss). Mom would periodically do the same with the big chest freezer and other areas inside. Curtains washed. Rugs shaken out. Everything spick and span.

With whatever other DNA they passed on, that "clear and clean" gene made it into my chromosomes. While W's away, I'm on a roll. (Reminds me that Dad would tackle a big project every time Mom left. She was almost afraid to be gone - she never knew what he'd be up to.)

The helper and I vacuum the third floor in the house. There's a storage attic in every upstairs bedroom. We sort empty boxes, dishes, and Christmas decor into their own spaces. When we're done, the boxes get dusted from months of open-screen storage. We can't prevent the buildup of dirt: the windows are always open. Whew, the boxes are filthy!

Like is put with like. We can get at our luggage. We can find the Community Dinner dishes and art supplies again. Makes me happy to have that chore out of the way.

Friday

W comes back from a conference on the other side of the island. He's tired and has lots to catch up on, but we have lunch at Miss Bee.

A flock of young moms comes in with their little kids. The children here are BEAUTIFUL. But so are their mothers. There's a swing and playground at Miss Bee that's a magnet for families.

It's a catchup day for me - we're choosing mugs for the BIC guest packs.

The flower arrangement needs to be taken apart to return a vase to the florist tomorrow, but I like the new casual arrangement as well. We get this ...

... from the glorious 3' tall arrangement of last weekend.

One of my readers returns the Foreword to Book 1 (of 3). Thank you, Dr. Don R! I really appreciate the partnership of colleagues who support what we're doing.

I've been craving salads. The tandoori chicken and quinoa plate at #MissBeeProvidore sticks with me through the afternoon.

Saturday

My friend Dr W invites me to an hour away - we walk to Bumi Sangkuriang for their fashion, dance, and craft show.

The big show is at night, but there are already booths set up with clothing and food. The big draw is the dancing on stage - I stay for 4 sets of traditional dances. The costumes are beautiful, the movements are elegant.

Even the older dancers love to take selfies - quite a few ask to pose with me - because I'm so white, I think.

It's CDB at night - we make a mess with paper maché and enjoy each other's company.

I have a new and strange batik set - the trousers have a skirt flap across the front. It feels awkward. But it's an interesting idea. 

Read more:

*But where are your gods that you made for yourself? Let them come, if they can save you, in your time of trouble. Jeremiah 2:28 

*Seek good and not evil, that you may live. Amos 5:14

*Jesus got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. Matthew 8:26

*Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5 

*May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones. 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13

Moravian Prayer: Lord, we are thankful that we can call on your precious name when we are lost and afraid. Remind us that you will be there to still the waves that toss us about. What peace! We thank you. 

O Lord, help us to shun all wrong and to seek an ever-closer walk with you, so that we might live as you intended. May we be a blessing to others, and may they catch a glimpse of you in us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Clatter, chirp, and chatter

Sunday, September 8, 2019
We love Sundays - we have another day as our rest day. We start with the monthly leadership team breakfast at 7:15 and join the international Gathering after.

The joy of meeting people and sharing scripture makes each Sunday a hit. W loves to speak and does a good job today. It's our last day in the Jewish scriptures (Old Testament for Christians). We've been in the stories and poetry of the OT since January - starting with creation and beginnings of nations, through many kings and prophets.

Next week, we start into the New Testament with the story of a prophet - John the Baptist. He is esteemed by all 3 mono-theistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

After a few weeks of meeting in a semicircle, I can hardly remember what it was like to have "the tunnel" seating in the auditorium. The kids snuggle into pillows on the old stage where they can overlook the adults. A few wiggles - but they're attentive most of the time.

Monday
At 21:30, I'm part of a panel of female leaders, thanks to the internet. The other participants are in the USA. We talk about the importance of titles (are they even important?) for female leaders. We agree that women themselves care less about their own titles. However, others do care. Titles help us identify someone's role and if they have authority in leadership.

Tuesday
I arrive early to the office. It's quiet and I can focus without the house calling me to this or that. Our team meets in the morning, then it's back to writing. I forget the clock and work until late.

For me, writing feels like the picture below (snagged from Pinterest). Your seat is flexible but the support (table) is fixed. You have a goal, a menu, and empty seats to which you invite ideas and creativity, putting fingers on the keyboard. Then the swinging starts.

When a few drafts of an article or book are done, the hard work of editing starts. I've been working on 3 books, off and on for a year.

This week, I clamp down and get the last one sent off today to someone writing the Foreword. The first two are already in friends' hands. They'll be tweaked even after publication - that's the privilege of Kindle publishing!

Here is my proposed cover for Book One. For my dissertation, I chose a group with low status, low income, and low empowerment in their home culture. I wanted to know how their "get-up-and-go" and results could be replicated in others who might be considered disempowered by their backgrounds, lack of training, or low status.

I found some outstanding women in a historical archive. The file room was like a treasure box, a place where I met women transformed global cultures with hope and the ability to read. They gave locals a chance to explore new ideas, and did compassion work among the neediest, the poorest, and the sickest. The women were teachers, social workers, and preachers who served abroad without a lot of support.

I found their spunk irresistible!

My primary gift is connecting - so as I meet people, I love to ask for their story. The women in my dissertation became my mentors and inspiration. "YOU CAN. Look at us," they told me.

The driver for much of my own activity is helping people thrive in the way they're wired. Internally, as a connector, I'm curious. "What is your unique contribution to the world? And what makes you think you can - or can't - do what you're designed, skilled, or trained for? Who should meet you?"

I'm always watching for people who are fully engaged in life or service. Who needs a boost into their next stage of life or service? Do W or I have something to offer? Encouragement, training, networks, or resources?

Wednesday
It's a day of writing - and by night, I'm far enough along to send off Book 3 to the reader. Hurrah!!!

The big news headline in Indonesia is the death of a former president. What a life he lived, and what history he oversaw. In the USA, it's all about 9-11 and the loss of life 10 years ago.

I think about how many people are uncelebrated in life and death. Every day, we ignore thousands upon thousands who die in regional conflicts, poverty, or from abuse. I feel called to pray for them and their families. To remember their suffering.

God knows each name, even those who are unknown to us or those who die unseen by others.

Thursday
From early morning until noon, I catch up on blogs and emails, and listen to podcasts. I'm sitting on the porch, sipping cold peppermint tea left over from last night and hot jasmine tea from this morning. It's a working luxury, for sure.

I wish you could hear the chit-chat of the lovebirds, the sweet melody of the canary, and the clattering of the bamboo wind chimes as the breeze runs up the valley. Roosters crow in the distance. Occasionally a car or motorcycle revs on roads across the valley. The wind ruffles the dog's fur as they sleep at my feet.

The helper waters our very dry garden. We usually have enough water pressure for one soak a day. But sometimes, there's no water from the city at all. Without watering, the garden withers and dies like the lawn has ... until rainy season comes. Then everything miraculously pops back to life.

The seasons have shifted over the past decades, the old people tell us. Rainy season used to be in the "-ber" months. Now it's more like October through May.

We love this city - think of all the stories, all the efforts, and all the families who live under these roofs.

Read more:

*You must not distort justice; you must not show partiality; and you must not accept bribes, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of those who are in the right. Deuteronomy 16:19

*Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. Psalm 130:1-6 NIV

*Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness. 2 Timothy 2:19 NASB

Moravian Prayer: O Lord, we are yours. Help us to remember that fact when we are tempted to take the easy, more comfortable road. Help us to live according to your teachings, and to be honest, loving, and kind in dealing with others. Amen.

Art class - happy me

Friday, September 6, 2019
Brunch is amazing. Dony cooks our favorites, including a mushroom ball that is amazing. We have a nice visit - he's become dear to us over the past years.

Afterward, we celebrate 2 graduates with a late lunch at Miss Bee (blueberry acai bowl below). We love the communities of young people around here. There are several circles of relationships, mostly of university students and young professionals.

I spend a few more hours at the office. I renew the bulletin board and do a few other "littles" to finish the day. The wind is blowing the leaves off the trees: at BIC, the security guards sweep the lawns and tennis court with stiff brooms three times a day. It's like a NW autumn at the end of dry season. (This pic is taken 2 hours after the last "sweep" - the lawn and court are covered in brown leaves.)

I have my last Earl Grey teabag from Trader Joe.

Meanwhile, W has spent 12 hours compiling my first book from Scrivener to Kindle. It's back and forth editing - what a pain to use this "helpful" program. Good thing he's doing it; It's doubtful that I could ever have figured it out.

Back home, I rework the flowers from the last weeks' bouquets into a few new arrangements. They're placed around the house to cheer me up when the clouds come overhead. The old rose petals dry on the oven cover, where the breeze swoops under the laundry roof into the back kitchen. I'll use them for potpourri sometime.

Saturday
I'm up early in the morning. I love the natural beauty here; I've collected moss and seeds that are new to me - they're around the office and the house.

Today's the first art class I've taken in Bandung. After a trip downtown, I find a group of +60 university students waiting outside the building. The instructor from Wednesday's art show sees me arrive and brings me inside. "You don't have to be a student. Just come in and watch," he offers.

Um, I really want to learn something. And I want to play with the paints. I pay my fee, chat with the organizers, and when the students are let in, sit with them. I'm the only senior besides the artists. I thought these guys were art majors, but most of them are just here for a fun painting workshop, sponsored by the Indonesian Watercolor Society.

One of the art shops hands out 3 watercolor sets per table: Cotman, Hahnemühle, and Koi brands. They also give attendees coupons for 1/2 off anything in the store. Cool. I won't get to the shop for the dates offered, but hopefully we'll all be inspired. We each get a pack of 5X7" papers to try.

We have distinguished instructors. First, they teach us about perspective. I can't understand much Indonesian but one of the students offers to translate. She wants to practice her English. I have never understood how perspective lines are chosen - until today. The artist stays until I get it.

I get it! It was worth $5 for the class, that's for sure. I finally find out what the starting points are for all the parts of perspective ... (about time). I'll play around with that. Someone comes around and gives me a few extra blank pages. Thank you.

The students refuse to switch tables when encourage to do so. They just stay seated. So the instructors rotate. (I learn something about culture, too.) While the artists are moving, I pass around Caran D'ache watercolor crayons and some other paints and brushes for the students to play with. It's fun seeing what they come up with. (Over the past years, I've brought a lot of my art supplies from Seattle - I have to use up what I have before I buy ANY more!)

Our second module is an abstract of leaves on stalks, Chinese style. We splash bright red paint on the page to finish off. The artist makes it all look effortless because she's done it 1000 times. But what a variety of skill and geometry among students, even in a simple exercise. I dash off 3 tries, one of which I'm ok with (above). I'll play with that again, too.

Finally, we paint a water lotus (actually a waterlily). The artist's painting is simple and right. Mine is ... much less. haha But we're all having fun. When I look around the table, some of the kids are drawing tulips, berries, and all kinds of other things. I try two waterlily paintings and suddenly the morning is gone and the workshop is over.

Traffic is crazy on the way home, just like every weekend.

We pick up the BIC flower provided every week by Ibu Fenny. They are stunning - what a gift this florist has! We drop them at the hall at BIC before heading home. W is just coming back from his appointments in town, too.

Read more:
*Look at the proud! Their spirit is not right in them, but the righteous live by their faith. Habakkuk 2:4

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:29

Moravian Prayer: Lord, teach us to be humble as we follow in your footsteps. Renew a right spirit within us. As we learn to trust you and give ourselves fully to you, we will find the rest and peace that we all seek. Amen.

Anniversary + Anniversary

Sunday, September 1, 2019
We've been serving BIC for one year ... today. It's been a quick year, work-wise. Lots of changes, just like when any new person steps into an organization. Today, I think about what's been accomplished ... and wonder what the next person will see, find good or missing, and how the temperament of BIC will change after we're gone. What legacy do we want to leave? What health, renewal, or well-being can we foster? What stories of grace will be planted into the people?

I'm not planning to leave soon. I'm just wondering into the future, like usual. As we get to know BIC, we recognize the good seeds previous leaders have set into the DNA.

I'm very GRATEFUL for BIC's past. We inherited a wonderful group of people who were served with heart. We found systems we could work with - an ethical leadership team, joyful service and worship teams, and generally adventurous people who let us experiment until things work.

Fairly often, someone comes to us with an idea: "May we try new music, way of speaking, art?" Sure, we say. "Let's give it 3 weeks or 3 months and evaluate." (We remind people that we can always switch it back if it's not a good fit.)

W points out a culture-switch midweek, which makes us chuckle. On Wednesday, when we submit something for the weekend teams, and we feel like it's late. Now, our teams plan ahead so we can all relax and serve together on the weekends. "Be on time," is wired into W's DNA; I prefer to plan in advance and handle surprises on the fly.

The local culture doesn't mind so much when things start. That's a mixed blessing - a relaxed entry but often a last-minute scramble. I've spoken at universities where people are still setting up media 15-20 minutes after an event is supposed to start. So everyone feels fine if they arrive late.

Today, our speaker is Caitlan. She's a powerhouse and good communicator. Her husband is the pastor of a church plant, which means they can invent whatever they like. With an international gathering made of many backgrounds and cultures, it's easy to say, "Well, we know that's not your tradition, but why don't we enjoy something new and fresh - another way?" Usually people will at least sit and watch.

If anyone can manage to speak over such a wiggly group (see the kids in front?), it's probably Caitlan. She's the mom of 3 toddlers.

All the children stay with us on Family Sunday. It's a noisy and bouncy group but few people mind. We love having all ages together - the little ones sprawl and color their kid-pages on pillows on the old (side) stage; some older kids drag pillows to the front and sit on a kid-friendly rug. They're comfy and so are we.

Monday

We run errands and eat dim sum after the morning gathering. The tea and mango juice is good, too.

Tuesday
It's our 42nd Wedding Anniversary. After a morning team meeting, we have lunch together on the way up to the hotel. I've asked if we can get away - most of our life is centered in this neighborhood.

There's good food at Meizon. We eat in a courtyard dripping with plastic flowers.

There's also the cutest playhouse built around a tree. We shake our heads at the lack of handrails and the gaps where toddlers can fall. Mostly, kids here are more aware of their surrounds since there are so many possibilities for harm.

The shop next door makes and sells hydroponic gear, wood slabs, and hand-printed organic cotton. beautiful. What a mix.

What catches my eye is the laser-cut metal screen. I'd love one or two for our entry (hang it near the door so we're not walking into a big room) or our porch. Only one neighbor overlooks the yard and a screen would block that view.

We pass a few more raw-wood places and stop at one to ask how much a bench would be - about $80 for a 8' slab, 4" thick, with legs. Not bad. "Want one as our our anniversary present to each other?" asks W. We have another bench that is fantastic for movie night - this would be the other side of the table.

W has chosen the Swiss-Bel hotel on the next hill over. The staff gives us the honeymoon suite, complete with swan-folded towels on the bed.

We see a big roof below us (the golf course clubhouse) and ask for a better view. They blink, but for a few extra dollars, hand us the key cards for a higher floor ... and a less-lovely room. Who knew.

There's no tub overlooking the view in the second room. And no swans. But we've already shifted so we stay and sleep in a comfy bed with bright light streaming in over the neighborhoods.

My idea of luxury is a bath - how I miss reading in the tub. I indulge but skip the swim, even with an infinity pool overlooking the valley. We do hang around the pool for a while though.

Breakfast is relaxing. We have time to talk without phones and computers interrupting us. 42 years. It's a lifetime.

After checking out, we drive down to town. On the way, we drop by Good Buy, where we bought most of our furniture when we arrived. Their prices have gone up - but they still have some interesting items, like this big sofa/daybed. (Pass)

Our next stop is an art show. The national watercolor society is hosting a week of art - there are lots of people at the morning workshop (which we miss) - 

but they invite us to next week's workshop. I admire one man's painting of a Sunda dancer. W asks if if the artist is willing sell it to us, but he gives it to us instead. What a wonderful anniversary gift.

Another artist shows us a stunning painting that caught my eye the first time I got to that wall. "It took 3 weeks, at least 2 hours every day," he explains.

He uses our hometown Daniel Smith paints: #danielsmithwatercolors. "You can't buy them in Indonesia," he says. "I import them from Barcelona." I tell him if he's running low, he can buy a few tubes; I'll bring them back from Seattle.

One more stop: the china reject shop Sandy introduced me to. The driver worked for Terry and her before us, so he knows just where to go. I'm looking for tall mugs for big cups of tea. They have a few.

Our last stop is SushiDen for a late lunch. The teriyaki is fine but the fish in the sushi tastes old. I eat some anyway - and have "the runs" for a few days. Ugh. It was pretty, but I should trust my tastebuds, God's warning signal.

Thursday
W heads into the hills with the dogs while I stay home to write. My hand's not 100% yet - but getting better all the time. By the time he comes back, I've cleared out emails, listened to an online class, and finished the edits for 2 books. W has promised to publish them for me. It's time: this project has been sitting on my desk for 3 years.

W complains that Scrivener (the program used to compile the draft into a book) is impossible to use. But if anyone can figure it out, it's him. The complicated "do this, don't forget that, and don't do that"  is the reason the books have been sitting in front of me forever. I start and get lost in the tech instructions: if it's more than 1-2-3, I lose interest and drift off. He'll get it done.

There's one more book in the series. I have a few edits to finish on that one. I choose a free stock cover for all 3, customizing the text.

The last piece before publication is the Foreword. There's one for each volume by three people I admire and respect. They know more about the topic than I do. "Coming in a week," they say. Great!

Friday
It's an early walk and a few hours at the office before brunch with a friend. We have lunch with another group, celebrating a student's gradutation from a master program. Before we know it, the weekend is here again.

Read more:
*He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals his thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth—the Lord God Almighty is his name. Amos 4:13 NIV

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

*Jesus asked the disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” Matthew 16:15

*So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord—for we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:6-7

*In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.

After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. Hebrews1:1-4 NIV

Moravian Prayer: Dear Lord, you have called us by name to go and serve your people. May we seek to give voice to the voiceless, and join spirits with no regard for color, class, or language. Help us to remember your promise to be with us always, so that we can walk this earthly path with faith and confidence. May our eyes be fixed firmly on the treasure that is ours, when we see you face to face. Amen.