This to that, and a happy birthday wish

Saturday, March 12, 2022

Special day? Of course: it's my 2nd brother's birthday. He's the only sibling left in the same town as Mom. He's the family hero for taking good care of her while the rest of us are scattered around the world. She dotes on him, too (between instructions of what else needs doing.) So, "Happy Birthday, Norm!"

We walk a larger loop, just one round this time. W has an online study at 7:30; K's on a Zoom call at 8:00; and HURRAH, M's "outa jail!" with a negative test yesterday. I'm packing for a trip and working on the porch.

We're looking forward to having people on the porch and in the house again. The latest COVID wave is starting to ebb. Seems like everyone is catching it, has it, or is over it.

When we moved into the house, there was a garden shed with "nothing but junk" in it. We found an old window for a coffee table since we had a metal frame for outside.

I can't tell you how many cups of tea and how many plates have tipped on and off the window frame. Yesterday, we reset the porch and other space with tables from a restaurant close-out. Thanks to Becky for the big flat surfaces.

The old tables move to the parking pad. The yardman cleared it of sampah (any kind of rubbish) last week. When we get back, I'll tackle that space.

We're reclaiming the yard bit by bit after its long pandemic rest.

The entry porch slowly morphed from this (above) to this (below). The bench is perfect for putting on your shoes. Culture note: you never wear street shoes in the house. You're not supposed to wear them on the porch but we treat it as transitional space. We have a rack of flip-flops for guests.

Beside the porch is a patch of the black berries that the helpers plant here and there. I asked yesterday if they were going to harvest them for their sambal (spicy sauce) and they said, "No, we'll take those seeds and plant more so we have lots." I tell them where they can plant - otherwise things sprout all over.

All kinds of dishes are seasoned from the yard. IbuA brings back a handful of ginger-like tubers that she picks from the back. Hmmm. I just used to cut off thosee tall stems and big leaves for flower arrangements. One root looks like a little monster.

The sun glances off the planters filled with water. The predictable rhythm of life - morning and evening, morning and evening - reminds me of God's faithful love. Whether you're a good or horrible person, everywhere in the world, he sends the sun and the moon to bless you.

The greens are restful for my weary eyes after a day online. When I'm stumped or need inspiration, I watch the garden grow.

The roses and grasses planted 2 months ago are thriving.

Seeing the delicate but sturdy grass fronds wave in the breeze makes me happy.

Restrictions on domestic travel have eased. No more nose-pokes for our trip to Bali tomorrow. We're off to a company conference. Bali by air is closer than driving Seattle to Portland, with cheap tickets. We miss many things, not being near family and old friends. But having Bali nearby? That's a definite perk.

As the afternoon fades away, we check messages one more time before a final sleep in our own bed. 

The evolving sea and a living wall.

Monday, March 7, 2022

We start each day with an early walk, at least a loop or two, usually with the dogs. Gypsy is slowing down and doesn't always want to come along. He's fine once we're underway.

Our lease contract comes through after a week in process. It's a relief to stay put for a few more years. Eki's sketch makes me happy. It reminds me of the hundreds and hundreds of people who have been here over the years. We hope for at least as many more in the coming years.

I'm writing and calling people much of the week, so art is an easy way to drain excess energy. I take off the rough backer-board from a 18"X25" frame (45cmX60cm). The poster has long since peeled off; it's been gessoed to cover the worst splits in the wood. If I wanted a smooth surface, I'd sand it between two or three more coats of gesso. 

I don't care about that. The rough surface is a good experiment. The first day it's just a swish-around of blues, greens, and whites. I should have left it at that.

Tuesday

The second day (below), the yellows turn it muddy. I've had to add back the sparkle another day.

There are 5 meetings scheduled today. I make 2 in the morning. I completely zone out on the third as I'm working. Then I fall flat over the garbage pail in my office = literally flat on my knees and body. Ouch.

My vision blurs within a half hour and I can't type a coherent sentence. I type a short text 4X and finally send off the last one. In the morning I see how garbled it is but it is the best I could do. I have to cancel the rest of the meetings.

Wednesday

I'm better by morning. The early walk with W and the dogs is fine. W feels better after a third doctor visit for a final check up of his foot. His blood markers are healthier than when he was recovering from dengue. I'm writing most of the day.

Little by little, we chop away at little tasks that make for a safe environment. It's ongoing in the tropics. PakG paves a small pad at the muddy side of the porch. We also have permission to clean up the yard next door to keep snakes and other varmints at bay. Can you spot the tiny lizard on the right?

We pressure-washed and painted the wall a few months ago, but it's already peeling off. You could spend all your time on maintenance! (Nope, people and lots of other things need our attention more.)

I splash aroun a bit to brighten things up. Oh well, I'llt gesso the whole thing and start over if I don't like it in the morning.

 W and I aren't really hungry at supper. But leftovers in the fridge and freezer evolve into one of my favorite Indonesian means: rendang (spicy dry beef roast), bitter papaya flowers and leaves, and ... what else, rice.

You don't need a lot of meat when the flavor is this strong; the beef is shredded onto rice. We made 4 lbs (1.5 kg) of roast last month. Since, we've had 5 meals (about 14 portions) and there's more to come with 4-5 portions in the freezer,

One more appointment online for me, before night. Meanwhile, W is up until 4:00 a.m. until his meetings wrap up. 

He's part of a theology commission that writes position papers and responses to current issues. They decided not to meet in person yet - so by staying up opposite the clock (10:00 a.m. there is 10:00 p.m. here...)  he saves himself 2-return trips. The first set of flights typically take 30 hours to and from the USA. The second set are 7-hr cross-country flights with a car rental to the city where the Commission meets.

I'm glad he had one night up instead. Though that is brutal, too.

Thursday

No walk in the mountains again today. Hopefully as things ease, we can trek further afield. Friends who were COVID-sick in the last weeks are recovering as the virus rolls through the neighborhoods.

The yard man is back for a second day this week after being sick a few weeks. The place is quickly overgrown in rainy season. The trees, shrubs, and weeds need a buzzcut. It's not just a matter of aesthetics - trimming keeps the beasts at bay. Even when walking in our backyard, we watch our feet and the grass carefully to make sure we don't step on snakes, poisonous caterpillars, or lizards.

Today PakA's 2 added chores are cleaning our a pile of log cuttings and bamboo scaffolding from last year. And filling in the green wall where the vines stripped off the wall in the zealous pruning of neighbors. We're all beating back the overrun. We need something less invasive on that shared wall. he goes from bare -

 - to lush in a few easy ferns...

 W drills concrete hooks into the 11' (3.5 meter) wall to hang plants over the bare patch. I spot two huge birds nest ferns on a stump near the old shed. How about those? The fronds are at least 3' (1 meter) long.

PakA chops the bases of the ferns into pieces and mounts them to the wall. Will they die off or thrive? He says there's no need to water them since the soil and bases are wet. I would have filled the centers with water, but let's see. Locals know their gardens best. I'm still a beginner here.

Can you spot him climbing up the tall ladder behind his handful of fern?

Since W had the drill in hand, he puts up the last few shelves in the nook. They've been in my office for a long time.

In the evenings or between "real work," it's been nice to check projects off a long list. As we do Zoom meetings, I'm working on the quilt in the nook table, stitch by stitch.

On our walk, we spot a butterfly on its last flight. Even the creatures that fall to the ground are wonderfully intricate. The velvet wings beat feebly against the paving.

Kristi heads for the office to check kid supplies. I was there earlier to make sure the greens on the outdoor perch are thriving. Yup.

I'm buried in writing this week. Working ahead provides ease later but it's a big job now. Sun's out. I'm working in the shade. Never better.

Read more:

*The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Proverbs 8:13

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:11

We are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works.Ephesians 2:10

Moravian Prayers: Lord, forgive us for boasting about the terra firma of our lives that are castles made of sand. Your truth and your grace—your perfect love alone—are the true footings of our faith and without them we labor in vain.

Maker of all things great and small, we celebrate the care by which you forge our hearts and fashion in us like-mindedness. May we love as you love and be built together into a true house of prayer. Amen.

Lent begins. The war continues.

Tuesday, March 1, 2022

Grateful that our COVID tests are negative. These home tests are more accurate than many currently used by hospitals, according to medical friends. W orders a 25-pack for the months ahead.

We grieve with friends whose families are victims of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. My mom and her relatives remember their own flight during WWII. "They have lost everyone," she says. A Ukranian friend's mom flies into Jakarta on a pre-arranged flight. She got out of the country just in time- and gets to see her new grandbaby.

Wednesday - Ash Wednesday

The season of Lent begins today. We begin to count the days toward celebrating what Jesus has done for us. I usually choose a discipline for the 40 days before Paskah or Easter. As a BIC community, we are reading 31 Days of Praise by Ruth Myers. Each day, the scriptures are grouped by topic, It's an uplifting read.

W drives into Jakarta to get Kristi, a new friend from Colorado as she wraps up her COVID quarantine. There's an accident on the way in (traffic jam, not involving our car). The wait at the hotel is long until the results of Kristi's tests are confirmed and she's released. They're home by early evening. 

Midday, IbuS climbs to the dressing area above the bedroom to make sure everything is clean. Ugh - the ledge at the top is a mess. I haven't swiped a hand on there since we moved in! You can imagine the dust, lizard poop, and spider webs that she clears away.

The main bedroom has hosted  3 different guests within the last 2 weeks. This big old house was built for a big family. Its systems are old. City water comes in for a few hours a day.

It's our privilege to welcome travelers and guests into it. Every upstairs room has a loft with teak closets plus open and closed shelving. You wake early: there are no blackout curtains. There are floor-to ceiling windows and balcony access, from which you can see the trees and flowers blooming in the yard. This bouquet of weeds, dill, and grass seeds adds a little pop of color.

On the last walk-through of the room, I spot a frame leaning against the loft wall. I turn it around to find the poster reproduction that we bought on a trip to Vietnam. Many Vietnamese shops sell propaganda posters, reproduced from early Communist days. W and I were there a few years ago and this was of a cows and villagers with the encouragement to farm to feed the nation. (We left posters of raised fists, "Death to America," and similar slogans there.) I hang it in the nook: the colors are perfect.

Speaking of pretty stuff, look at this rose. The rosebush cost us 50c (7.500) in a field of roses a few weeks ago.

I tuck it and a gardenia into an IKEA umbrella stand in the bathroom. The perfume rafts into the hall as you walk by.

Thursday

No mountain walk for us with COVID raging and W's toes swollen with gout. Instead, Kristi and I loop around the neighborhood. She's accustomed to high elevations so that's a plus: no panting as we walk uphill. My tracker records 10,000 steps by evening.

Friday

After a morning walk with Kristi, Angela joins us for another quick stroll around the hill. W and Kristi goto buy airline tickets for an upcoming conference. They need a refund for a cancelled flight, too.

IbuS cooks a lunch soup, bakes pretzel buns, and  - the big job of the day - tracks down the laundered bedding that has gotten scattered here and there. Prowling around the house this week, I find sheets, pillowcases, and towels stacked in dressers, a portable closet, laundry baskets, and in a storage room.

"Please go find it all and put them away in one place." First, she heaps them on a guest bed. We bought quality linens at closeouts and dragged others from our stash in Seattle. We're always trying to figure out the right size, flat or fitted. "Let's organize these!"

I sketch the 5 kinds of beds and number them by size for IbuS. Then I cut blank labels, find some twine, and track down zippered bags. IbuS folds each sheet, labels the bag by size, and shoves it into an old wooden hutch.

We have a linen closet for the first time in 7 years! Hurrah. About time.

Lo and behold, a bonus. We solve a puzzle that has been itching at me for weeks. In W's office, we find a missing blanket for which the helper and I searched high and low. I sling it over the sofa within easy reach. Bandung was the coldest spot in Indonesia yesterday at 20oC (68oF). Brrrr.

Saturday

It's a short walk - just me and the dogs, who are happy to be out of the gate. The masseuse is due to treat a few clients on the hill. She works out some of my kinks mid-morning before heading to the next lucky gal. We sit so much for work: lots of writing and connecting from various desks. The two-hour workover ($15US) is well worth my time.

I write 10 days of future blogs, while W redoes parts of tomorrow's BICOnline video and his foot is getting better. Whew. I'm happy when night falls after a long day of desk work.

Some friends report COVID positive as  Omicron sweeps through town. So far, so good for us. We retest and are still negative. M is isolating upstairs, hopefully almost done with COVID herself.

Sunday

We have BIC Online in the morning.

The extra language books are still sitting on my desk. I hope the person who spoke for them takes them. Otherwise they're going into the trash this week.

I finish painting the feather hat, dress, and skin tones to the point where I can leave her alone. I pop the acrylic face into an 18"X24" (45X60cm) frame and that's it for now. Katherina has developed an imaginary life as I painted her layers. I like her uneven shoulders, ears, and eyebrows. She perches on my office shelf.

Vina sits on our porch this afternoon for the first time. It's a delight to meet new friends - and nice to have Kristi back in time for conversation. Someone else drops by to pick lemons from the garden. A social day all around.

Somehow I rack up 11,000 steps  between an early walk, a stroll to lunch (dropping off Kristi at a cafe en route), and a final afternoon loop to pick up a book from the neighbor's house.

Read more:

Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Psalm 91:1-2,9-16; Romans 10:8b-13; Luke 4:1-13

*For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with you. Psalm 139:13-18

*The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him! Habakuk 2:20

*The wise men said, “We have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:2

*No one who believes in Christ will be put to shame. Romans 10:11

Moravian Prayers: God of wonders, we stand astonished and lower our eyes in awe. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory, yet you walk to Jerusalem. Prepare us for the journey ahead and the steps we take in faith this day. Amen.

3 things plus one: Good Things Take Time

Those who know me well understand how much I value the creativity of others. This weekend, Eki and Lyong leave behind two little treasures, sketches of the house.  Eki sits in the driveway with a watercolor brush, paints, and good paper.

1. Everyone sees the world from their unique vantage. You can't force someone to agree with you. But you can invite them in, like Eki's sketches do, to see things from a new point of view.

Friday, February 25, 2022

It's a gloomy season with winds whipping up the valley. I sit in the shade of the porch roof when I work from home. This morning, I attend 3 online meetings back to back (7:00-12:00). My eyes and brain are tired. Looking at nature helps. So do endless cups of tea.

W and I eat lunch and I steal a quick nap before another meeting at 1:00. This one is in person and especially fun, a dissertation consultation about a project based in Indonesia. 

2. Even the smallest things may be worth a second look. To stretch my legs, I wander around the yard. The weed seeds have sprouted into 2' high plants (and growing), with pretty peppermint flowers

We're happy to welcome Eki and Lyong for the weekend. We eat a few meals out with them. I have to learn to cook rice! I don't make it to the satisfaction of locals. Too wet. To dry. Not done. Not washed well enough. You name it. 

Several of IbuA's meals lie in the freezer. For Indonesians, they're best eaten with rice. On our own, W and I would enjoy them with pasta, crepes, or potatoes.

To prevent a rice fiasco (yup, been there!), we walk to #NaraPark. We order pizza and a few other items to share, but W's bento box looks especially delicious.

Trees and other plants grow quickly - this is the view from our house when we moved in 7 years ago.

After a hard pruning, the trees are shorter. and the wall is stripped back. Cutting the huge benjamina ficus to it trunk and bare branches reopens sight-lines to Dago. What you can't see is the deep river valley between us and the mountain on the horizon.

"I suddenly have a view!" says Melvina from the upper balcony. The neighbors on our left have sunshine on their porch again, too. M's sick this week with a fever, sore throat, fatigue. Omicron? Who knows. The number of infections is high but few people bother with a doctor unless they're emergency cases. Everyone will probably get it at some point.

Saturday

One morning meeting is cancelled due to illness. The neighborhoods are full of sick people; we thank God for health, though we caught the first wave of COVID last year.

Our guests are in town for a family wedding day. They invite mutual friends Josh and Clau to stand in as representative "parents." (We're the grandparents and old people stay home.) PakG drops the young people at the wedding venue down the hill. Then he buzzes to the next city to get J&C: their car is in the shop for repairs.

As usual, the wedding couple and guests look smashing.

"I hardly recognized my nephew and his bride!" Eki exclaims. It's customary for a bride to be made up as beautifully as any film star. Eki and his sis enjoy the venue, gathering ideas for their own future from the beautiful decor.

When they return, they spend a quiet afternoon and evening. I make a German supper at home: sausages, veggies, and fresh-baked bread buns.

3. The unexpected is sometimes the most fun. W and I split one of the macaroons Clau sends over. The coffee flavor is indescribably light and enak (delicious).

Sunday

At 7:00, we walk over to #PinoTerrace for breakfast with our guests.

Back home, BIC is still online. The weather is overcast. It's windy on the porch as we watch the gathering. There are only spatters and sprinkles until 11:00, when the downpour starts.

Our guests head out about that time, waiting for a pause between showers before running to the taxi.

Daylilies are strewn on the grass.

The water hyacinths poke periwinkle-topped stems above the water. Pantone says periwinkle is the "color of the year" = imagine that, trendy blooms in our backyard!

Further over, the water lilies flourish. 4 of the new goldfish are dead, since Friday. Both little catfish go belly-up as well. Something in the water doesn't agree with them. Is it the city water that tops up the ponds? (Often iffy.) Maybe the finish on that old bathtub is wearing off? Next time we clean that tub out completely, we'll check. Meanwhile, the tadpoles flourish.

Monday

It's time to make sure newsletters are scheduled and create 4 videos for March. How can we be headed for the third month of the year already? I feel so bad for not hosting more events - BIC and otherwise - until I hear who's sick and who's doing ok. Stay home, people. Let's get this over with.

A young friend drops by in late afternoon. We sit on the porch for conversation, tea, and the donuts she's brought over. Sweetness all around.

And a bonus idea: take your time to work with what is in front of you. This face needs more glazes but slowly it is emerging on the repurposed canvas. It started as a quick sketch with a sharpee marker.

Art seems to find its own life if you wander through it with no specific mood or goal in mind. Anything can happen - and might still. I am waiting for what's next. Is it time to paint feathers on the hat? Maybe even a peacock feather or two ...

Up close, she's far more interesting. My hope is to quit when she's done.

Tuesday

Every Tuesday is "change the bedding" day. The mattress, new when we came, is still hanging on. Some sheets fit better than others: this one, on the small side, barely covers the mattress. Bedding is ironed after it line-dries to chase away bugs and other unwelcome hitchhikers. We don't have a clothes dryer: everything is hung on a line or rack, where it dries pretty much in the same amount of time as a dryer.

The team meets online as a team again. Meanwhile, our friend Kristi has made it across the Pacific Ocean and into her Jakarta quarantine hotel. She arrives in Bandung tomorrow or the next day. You'll meet her soon.

Just before lunch, I run errands on the next hill. Our destination is one mile away as the crow flies; 2.7 miles on winding mountain roads, and takes 20 minutes to drive. I pick up second-hand kombucha bottles on the way over to check out a piano.

The tropics are hard on instruments. When I open the top of the piano and take off the front, I spot a few felt ties that have broken off their hammers. The base clip is rusted shut. Termite frass is scattered on the floor under the keyboard. It's not a bad instrument, but better for early learners than for me. It won't hold up to the wear and tear of performance-level music. Back to my electronic keyboard. (= Uninspiring.)

I forget my credit card and pay for the eggs, onions, raw chicken, and vegetables with the rupiah in the back of my phone. Whew. Just enough.

The week hasn't gone as expected so far. We have gotten a lot of work done, enjoyed the company of young friends, and had a few short nights of sleep. I'm tired - and ready for a nap. You?

A question for you as you "let go" on your side of the world ... "In what ways might you learn more (and how might life be more interesting) if you didn't have to control things as they unfold?"

Read more:

*The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? Psalm 27:1

*Jesus said, “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

Moravian Prayer: Jehovah God, light of all light, who shines through darkness and makes the night as day, transform us into vessels of light, walking toward you and dispelling all darkness. May all see your light and know the salvation that comes only through the blood of Jesus Christ! May all glory be yours, in his majestic name. Amen.