Creatures, creations, and creatives

 Saturday, January 28, 2023

I start gluing down hundreds of paint chips. Even rubber cement doesn't want to hold them to the acrylic background on the canvas. The tolerance is slim in this grid and the chips keep sliding. I persist because I'm curious to see what it will become.

Stage two will be to hold the paint tiles down. The corners lift and the tiles turn each time I take off the weights holding them in place. I'll have to smear the whole thing with acrylic medium, Mod Podge, or white glue.

For now, I try to find out where each one goes. They lifted and the grid shifted each week when the room was cleaned. (The canvas must have been bumped when the table was dusted.) It's taken 3 weeks to get this far.

Time to finish up. Gradually the piles of tiles find their spot on the grid. By mid-week, stage one is done. There are 13 grey and brown paint chips left over. 

I may turn it sideways as an urban landscape. When you squint your eyes, do you see what I see? 

Outside, it's raining hard, keeping the garden freshly washed. Do fish spill over the sides during the downpours? That would be natural population control in the 4'- (1.3m)-wide pot.

I splash and scrape white acrylic across two painted backgrounds. W and I read through the talk for tomorrow together. It's a random but useful day.

Sunday

The last Sunday of the month is Round Table at IES Bandung. W and I give the background to two questions from scripture. Each table discusses the questions and shares their observations with the whole group. 

We believe God speaks to his people through the Holy Spirit. It's amazing how much we learn from others.

Monday and Tuesday

I spend early mornings in language school and come home to meetings galore. We enjoy an in-person team meeting one afternoon on the Porch. Only one person is online today and she sends popped rice treats for us all to enjoy. YUM.

Meanwhile, PakA transforms the grubby and worn porch railing with paint.

It looks crisp and modern.

Tropical sun and storms take a fierce toll on things. Our choice was to scrape down and paint the whole thing white again ...

Or put a black frame between the Porch and the green green garden.

Wednesday

The server at #NaraPark asks if he can take our photo. Why not? (- though I dislike being in pictures.) We enjoy a breakfast of tea, spicy noodles, and rice porridge.

Beautiful creatures are everywhere we look. This butterfly made an unexpected landing on the street. Our garden is full of butterflies this week. (W's photo)

We take down the Christmas and New Year decor at the Green Gate hall. PakG schlepps it home in the car later in the day.

As we walk home, we admire the local materials, piled high for construction. There's bamboo for scaffolding, stone for foundations and walls, and gravel and dirt for cement.

The neighbor's hedge is a constant flame, 10' tall.

We're getting the hang of making bread in the bread maker. Neither W nor I are hungry at midday. We grab a slice of warm bread and call it lunch. W's stomach is still queasy so he's taking it easy.

I settle in to write for Sunday and catch up online. I don't know when my office has had a better view or more pleasant climate control. The breezy 75oF (24oC) feels practically perfect.

After a few meetings, a pleasant hour passes online with an accomplished niece in Germany. Her creativity and broad interests remind me of Dad's oft-repeated encouragement: "Don't let anyone put you in a box." He constantly challenged me to be my best self, without conforming to boundaries imposed by others if they don't suit my calling.

I pass that on to her. I miss my Pop today.

Read more:

*Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. Psalm 90:1-3

*Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me. Psalm 139:16

*Do not worry about your life. Matthew 6:25

Moravian Prayer: Savior, we lay our burdens down. Lord, we trust in your providence. Clear our minds and calm our hearts as we stand on your promises for now and for eternity. Amen.

Just a color dot away ...

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Most of the yard is tidied up though some of the chores on the list are unfinished. I pick up the huge leaves that drift into the garden from the neighbor's tree; they get tossed onto the driveway for disposal into the compost heap. It rains nearly every day again - helpers and dogs sit it out under cover.

Little ants scurry across the table where I write. They're on the bathroom floors, the kitchen counters, and in our sugar jar. Busy busy busy. (They and I are at war.)

Thursday

We drive up to the mountains for our weekly hike. Gypsy does something to his back leg and begins to limp. W walks him back to the car. We can't see anything wrong so likely he tore his nail or has a slight sprain. When I touch his foot gently, he doesn't pull it away but he hops around without putting pressure on it.

It's one of our best forest walks. We take a picture before everyone gets sweaty and muddy. Angie explores new trails in the same old forest - there are a few hills in 7 km of clean air and green. W catches up to us. Nature walks are refreshing for the soul.

I stop a few times when my heart rate climbs over 165; the energy drains out of me until the rate drops. Then off we go again.

Many trees were felled by the windstorms a few weeks ago. The stumps have their own beauty. We climb over and around where the trunks cross the trails.

We have lunch at Sushi Tee.

Friday

The alarm rings in time for a 3am webinar led by a dear friend and trusted mentor. Gail speaks on being present to God, on making space for the soul to hear his voice.

I put some drops of acrylic on canvas so I can focus.

After scraping a credit card across it a few times, I let it sit. I don't like starting with a blank canvas, no matter what happens after the base coat.

After the morning's work and calls, lunch is the usual. I start with a stack of salad and sprinkle a half-cup of rice on top.

Up to a cup of cooked vegetables goes on that.

And if there's meat, a few small sausages or shredded chicken top it off. There has to be sambal (hot sauce) on the side. "What are you doing?" I've been asked, when people watch the process. Considering what restaurants call their "salad special," my lunches seem pretty tame.

An hour at language school offers many new words. IbuE uses different terms as we review the stories from last term. Lucky me. I learn a second word for merry-go-round and the words for "time" or "a moment."

W's had a headache for 3 days. He runs a few errands and takes the day slower than normal. A neck rub eases some of the pressure.

Saturday

It's a full day of writing enews updates, getting ready to speak, reviewing language, and preparing for upcoming meetings. A big mosquito bounces across the table away from me. Here's hoping that the Deet repellent does its job. No one wants mosquito-borne tropical fevers.

The avocados are ripening on the tree. The roses are sending out new shoots. The yellow sulfur cosmos are almost 5' tall, ready for tomorrow's bouquets at Round Table Sunday. I take my office scissor into the garden and snip the flower heads.

There are also red, orange, and pink impatiens. I used to eagerly await the Spring Sale to buy 50c/pots of impatiens at Fred Meyer in early March. Impatiens are weeds here and when there are too many, we pull them out. They easily reseed into pots, in roof gutters, and in the ground.

Into the soaking basin they go. After a few hours, we put them in glass bottles, along with a dill stem. Some day I may go to a flower shop. For now, foraging in the yard makes arrangements easy. One bottle may not be impressive but 10 will look pretty, placed around the hall.

Read more:

*Lord, plead my cause and redeem me; revive me according to your word. Psalm 119:154

*Whoever is steadfast in righteousness will live, but whoever pursues evil will die. Proverbs 11:19

*Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6

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

Moravian Prayer: Lord, we hunger for so many things when our greatest hunger should be for you. Give us the desire to labor for justice and righteousness in the face of the injustices we see all around us.

We are not alone, Lord. You stand with us and you watch over us. Help us to stand with others in their time of need. Amen.

Black paint, holidays, and new guests

Sunday, January 23, 2023 Happy Chinese New Year

We take home the Chinese New Year arrangement and have an afternoon siesta. 

Dr and IbuT pick us up near Green Gate, along with expats who were former residents of Bandung. The 10-minute drive to the dinner restaurant takes 1.5 hours. "Too bad we can't park and walk," we say. But the rain comes and there's nowhere to pull to the side. We wait with everyone else.

One couple arrives at 6pm. We get there at 7:15 but another friend comes at 7:30. She gets the prize for most arduous trip. It takes her 3 hours!!! for a 30 minute drive through horrendous traffic. It's an evening of stories, catching up, and good food.

We enjoy the "waving fish" appetizer. The skin is thin-sliced and placed atop the hot egg and noodles. It sways in the heat as though it is swimming.

I plan the schedule through October for IES Bandung: we'll examine one chapter of Matthew's gospel each week, which will take us most of the year. It's the first book of the New Testament in the Bible. What a challenge to draw out only one or two ideas! The chapters are long and many have several stories in them. We could take years and not exhaust the richness of the life of Jesus.

Tuesday

It is exam day at language school so I can move to the next (beginner) level. Ibu Etsha makes it easy and relaxing. Passed. Yay. We start the phase of telling stories, the next step of learning.

When I get home, the yard man is moving soil from the entry flower bed in preparation for moving the lesung. "It's good soil," he says. He saves it to the compost heaps of trimmings from a tropical garden.

IbuS scrubs the window that's been hidden behind the plants. She's quick: the water on the glass evaporates in minutes.

W scrapes old glue off the sides of the windows (from who knows what - construction 50 years ago?) He uses a razor blade along one edge - and then decides to do the whole window. It sparkles! before turning cloudy again. Maybe the glass is old.

It's easy to overlook local finishes or tropical decay until you move something. Then all of a sudden, glue, dirt, or rough edges are sitting in front of you. My inner "German" is happy when that's gone.

PakA is handy! The person who last painted the planters splattered white across the black base. The old paint is stained from dirt and wear. There's black paint in the shed so PakA paints the whole thing black, including the entry planters. That makes the lesung even more striking.

I suggest doing the same to the grubby porch railings so they 'disappear' into the garden. W asks me to wait a week: he has to think it over.

IbuA remembers grinding rice in a lesung in the padis (rice fields.) The women also made music for weddings and other events by hitting the empty trough with strong sticks. Listen here to the inventiveness of what wood on wood can make. Indonesians use what they have - bamboo, wood, clay, and natural paints - in their art and celebrations.

I check the upstairs bedroom at lunch: it's dusty and there are books and other things in the desk. Oops. I alert IbuS to get it ready for guests, open the doors to air out the room, and take a package of mothballs out of the drawers.

After lunch, the team meeting is online. In mid-afternoon, Roberto, Wina, and 2-yr-old Ezra arrive from the airport. (Thanks for pickup, Josh!) They unpack upstairs and start to settle in. Over a cup of tea, Josh updates us on his plans for the future before heading home to the next city.

Supper together at Nara is delicious. The sky is overcast as we walk home - it's half-rainy season. Some days we have rain. Others we don't. We're spared and make it home dry and safe despite the thunderclouds overhead.

Wednesday

We walk the mile-loop with our new guests and drop the dogs back at the house. Then W and I walk up to Nara for our date breakfast. This table, set up to barbecue in the center or hold plants (when there are no live coals) is a great idea.

We sit on the Porch to read the upcoming talk for Sunday. I make a few calls and enjoy a visit from Laurel, complete with freshly-baked cookies. In some seasons, the yard is lush with abundant greens.

At other times, the garden is full of reds, yellows, and pinks. The butterflies hover across the flowers.

This bird-of-paradise flower reminds me of old teeth when it starts to fade.

The animals are restless with the incoming storms. Gypsy puts his head and front feet on the tiles of the living room. He's not allowed inside. This is his compromise.

PakA catches the canary in its cage and trims its nails with a nail clipper. He's put the budgies in the big cage where they flit from branch to branch. The first time they were in it, they huddled together on the perches, frightened by the expansion. This time ... they make themselves at home.

W's off to a hospital visit while I edit and do other chores.

Read more:

*You in your mercy have led forth the people whom you have redeemed. Exodus 15:13

*The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1

*There is none like you, O Lord; you are great, and your name is great in might. Jeremiah 10:6

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

*Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. 1 Peter 3:18

Moravian Prayer: Lord, keep us grounded in your love and aid us in the task of building opportunities for all to abide in your grace.

Living Redeemer, your sacrifice was for all, whether we chose to recognize you or not. Keep us among those who humbly remember and live in response to such unbelievable love. Amen.

Bronze birds, a rice trough, and a stone wall

 Friday, January 20, 2023

Over 1700 blog posts. That's what's sitting in this blogspot repository. That's a lot of writing, whether anyone reads it or not. I went back to read some posts from 2012 and 2013, ten years ago. 

I sit on the porch, inhaling the scent of the gardenias by a fish pond (recycled from an enormous cracked flower pot.) Dozens of fish swim to the surface when I toss in fish food.

We walked this morning, admiring the red palm that flourishes at the neighbor's.

We looked in wonder at the wall being built stone by stone in the last few months.

First, workers cleared the plants from the edge of the street and put in a kind of sidewalk. Behind it is a pretty steep yard.

Then they dug a long trench in the ground, filled it with foundation rocks, and began to build a stonemason's art.

It was fascinating to see it start to grow. The base is thick! (at least a meter / 3' wide.)

I popped my head inside the gate to admire the flat front surface and the wall sloping toward it.

Quite astonishing at 3-meters (9+ feet) high. And beautiful, don't you think?

Now they've dug another trench for the side wall. I like construction and the hopefulness of something new emerging.

The beautiful gazebo in the neighborhood park has rotted away - consumed by termites and ants. It seems the neighbors have given up: they placed logs for seating in the space. When it's sunny (most of the day), it's too hot to use so the park is empty.

Saturday

We walk and make some calls. W heads to town, taking Wolter, Fennelien, and baby down the hill for a walk along the river.

There are endless paved paths between houses, along with dirt trails. (The condition depends on how much the neighborhood council skims from allocated funds.) Once you explore and lose yourself a few times, you get the gist of where you are.

The canary and lovebirds chirp on the porch as I review language and work towards Lent. Pak G sprays the birds with the garden hose, giving them an instant shower. They preen and sing.

For relief from words, I pull a commemorative trophy from a speaking engagement out of its glass box. I replace it with a bronze bird and Bali driftwood. (The glass bowl on the wood shattered in transit but the wood remains.) It's a mix of nature and industrial: wood, metal, and glass. That's just enough creativity to get me back to language review.

In the afternoon, PakG and his friend with the little pickup truck get the Sundanese lesung (antique rice trough) from a house on the next hill. It caught our eyes during a walk last year. It's in good condition for its age. The bull's head was cleanly broken off at some point but nailed back on.

It's HEAVY hardwood, 3 meters long (9'). "No need to use soap or oil to clean it," says PakG. "What it needs is brushing many times and then the wood will shine again." I tell him to start on it when he has time.

"More stuff for an eventual garage sale," sighs W.

"It will be amazing," I promise him. We will line it against water before we add plants and set it near the entry.

The groomers make the dogs beautiful again @$15 for 2 poodle coats. I'll have to trim off the back of Bailey's "helmet cut" to round his head but that's a small price to pay.

Sunday - Happy Chinese New Year ("Gong Xi Fa Cai!" to our Chinese friends)

W and I speak together at IES for the first time in a few weeks. It's easy. Conversational. We're talking about how God brings his light into our darkness, with 2 stories from scripture. Listen here if you want (20:00)

I spotted the top of a palm tree in someone's garden compost on Friday's walk and slung it over my shoulder. I throw it into the kitchen sink to soak until time to use it.

Sure enough, it fits perfectly in the 28" (72 cm) vase. A 5' stem of "bird of paradise," left over from our forest walk 10 days ago, is still red, It slides between the palm fronds. The red pussy willows were wrapped up 4 years ago after a Chinese New Year bouquet faded. Together, it becomes a simple tall bouquet of red and green.

At Community Table, we chat with several new arrivals to Bandung. Groups of people sit around and chat. Watching people making friends, discussing their lives, and praying for each other gives us great hope for the family of God. He is at work among us, from every tribe and nation.

Some join us for lunch at #NaraPark, enjoying Indonesian soup, mushroom pizza, a burger, and Japanese bento boxes. It's all good - and the blackberry cheesecake dessert pizza finishes it off nicely. Since there are many restaurants here, you can order whatever you have an appetite for. The conversation is useful and warm.

When we get home, the Hangout group is on The Porch, enjoying lunch and games together.

Read more:

*When you make a sale to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor, you shall not cheat one another. Leviticus 25:14

*God looks to the ends of the earth, and sees everything under the heavens. Job 28:24

*It is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost. Matthew 18:14

*We intend to do what is right not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of others. 2 Corinthians 8:21

Moravian Prayer: Lord, you watch over us, and that is no small thing. Help us to remember this when we are feeling alone and lost. Remind us to keep our eyes open for others who may also be feeling lost.

God of justice, give us the wisdom and strength to act with honesty and integrity. Remind us of our responsibility to both you and our communities to hold ourselves to the highest standards of your grace. Amen.