Sweet times and itching to learn

Monday, October 14, 2024

We have a mandatory trip to Springfield for security training that bites a chunk off our annual month of itineration. We hopped a plane yesterday after speaking at a morning service and lunch with a pastor.  Mt Rainier does not disappoint as we leave SeaTac.

We try to see our kids every year when we come back from Indonesia, especially our daughter in Texas. We see the lights of Austin below as we approach. We arrive at midnight after an uneventful flight. That's the best kind!

A lamp from Grandma's sheds light in the guest room. Year by year, Kirsten is making her home more beautiful and personal. It's a delight to see the memories she collects.

W has only a half-day with Kirsten before he's off to the theology commission in Springfield so he crams in as many repairs or upgrades as he can. She drops him off at the airport after a barbecue lunch YUM and his handyman specials.

Tuesday

Our goal is to find a bathroom rug, change outdated art in K's frames, and spend time together. Kirsten and I hang some pictures. Then we hit the discount stores: at DD's Hispanic discount store I find a Christmas tablecloth for $5.99 (well, a shower curtain with a cute fringe), At Ross' we load up on rug options.

Kirsten tests the rugs out in her bathroom and makes a final selection. There's no return policy in Indonesia. Get the wrong size? Wrong color? Appliance doesn't work? (They usually test it at the store because ...) There's no returns permitted.

Wednesday

We pull up crabgrass and seed the yard until after 11 a.m. We can't figure out what these little seed balls are. Or are they bug incubators? Anyone know?

When we eat at a Mexican restaurant, we're the only non-Hispanics. That's a good indicator of classic Mexican food at reasonable prices.

We return the unwanted rugs for K's bathroom to the Ross discounter.

We stop at TJ Maxx for an electric toothbrush and a few things for the house. It's odd to see that the social distancing introduced by COVID is alive and well in the checkout line.

We find the fabric K is looking for at JoAnn - a cute print of bees and another of the woodland animals that frequent K's yard. 

K's a wonderful cook so we're not losing weight, that's for sure. We take our time eating together.

Keelee's up for a call in the late evening, too. I miss the interactions with friends, often online. Sometimes they're busy; sometime we're not available. When we connect, it's a blessing.

Thursday

Kirsten makes tea sandwiches and scones for breakfast and we finish another round of watering in the seeded yard. 

It's a pleasure to spend time together. We agree that each visit gets sweeter. We laugh when we say the exact responses in unison - how can that be when we've lived apart for most of her life? Like daughter, like mother.

We replace old art in existing frames with new fabrics. I trim and hem a large tablecloth to fit K's tea table. K makes spicy noodles before we collapse onto the sofa to watch a fun renovation episode on Plex.

She drops me at the airport with time to spare. Austin has its own look in shops and the airport: "Modern Cowboy."

Both flights are very cold - it feels like 65o inside the planes and the Dallas lounge. People wear coats or drape themselves in blankets. 

W picks me up from the Springfield airport after midnight. We catch up on his week. He had satisfying meetings with the theology commission and got an incentive to write his book on women in ministry.

Friday

For the week, W has found a fancy Toyota Tacoma for a fraction of the price of car rental. The moon is on the wane but still huge as we open the curtains to a cold morning (43oF/6oC). Brrr. I don't have warm clothes along beyond a jacket and long-sleeved top. When I checked weather last week, it was in the 90s (33o) during the day. Today it may hit 70o (19o).

It's our one day off. We wake at 7:00. I'm feeling a little hungover from a short night. The mattresses are comfortable even in a cheaper hotel. The breakfast options are not appetizing: sugary cereals, white bread, and a slow-cooker full of chalk-grey gravy. The OJ is a tang-like mix. W researches breakfast places before we head out the door.

We end up at Gailey's, a downtown eatery, where meals are so big that we take half to our hotel for tomorrow.

We spot this sign, walking back to the truck. I thought Christians were quoting Jesus, not Gandalf. How odd.

This guy has an old man's chopper well in hand, sans helmet. That's legal in Missouri.

We buy some clothes at my once-a-year stop Half of Half Price. We stop at Aldi for chocolate and German breakfast fixings (bread, sausage, cheese).

Neither of us is hungry when we pause for a mid-afternoon lunch at Corner 21, the best Chinese food in Springfield. But when the food comes, our appetites revive. It's so good! We stash half of that in our hotel fridge, too. Portions in the USA are family-sized.

The ant bites (from working in K's yard) are swollen and irritated. W offers Orajel to soothe the itch.

The room has a bathtub which is a rare luxury. W naps while I soak. When the sun sets at 7:00 p.m., we're almost ready to rest for the hard week ahead.

Read more:

*Better is a dinner of vegetables where love is than a fatted ox and hatred with it. Proverbs 15:17

*Jesus also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them, for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.” Luke 21:2-4

Moravian Prayer: Holy Spirit, draw us closer to one another. Heaven is a place full of love and healing. It is up to us to bring Heaven to Earth, flooding our spaces with a deep love. Help us in this task. Amen.

Support LIA - she's finished 30 Ironman competitions in a row (scroll down). WHAT? Yeah, I can hardly believe it either.

Monday, October 8, 2024

We're in class Monday to Thursday. All the plans we had for meeting people in Eastern Washington fall though. All but one person is sick over there. Is it good stewardship of time and money to drive 600 miles and rent a hotel room for one or two meetings? 

Then another person calls in ill. W says, "That's it. We probably should stay here." So we do.

Kevin Geer and Kathy Cannon present an amazing master class on spiritual and organizational management. There are aha moments that answer what crushed our team momentum or presented an unsolvable puzzle. There is new information. And there are funny stories and a way of speaking that are life lessons. I'm glad we got it all.

Friday

We have our first afternoon and sleepover with the grandchildren. Every October, we try to catch up with the kids and grandkids between business meetings. 

First we walk a long block/s (2 miles/3km) to get some air and drain some energy.

The autumn is in full blaze.

  

I take a closer look at the native shrubs and their seed patterns. We've brought water-whistle toys from Turkey. What a warbling! which makes all the construction guys along the way look up at the electric wires ... until they see the pack of kids whistling at full volume.

Our teen arranges a few chocolate muffins and scones - she has a good eye.

Tea of course is its own treat. The kids have creamer jugs into which we pour tea from the Fitz&Floyd Reigning Cats and Dogs pot gifted to W's mom (and returned to us when she downsized.) The kids love it.

Then the kids race their Indonesian ladder toys: penguins vs Spiderman-s. So noisy! (The toys, not the kids who dance and shout along.)

Saturday

The morning starts with girlfriend's coffee. How I love these women, who speak life into me.

I zip home to get W for the drive to Bellingham. I do an experiment: if I drive in the "slow lane" (the right), how far behind do I get in plugged up freeway traffic? Turns out we pace the left two lanes without the zig-zagging in and out to get ahead. Ha. I suspected but who knew: the cars in the fast lanes pass, fall behind, pass ... there's no difference except that there are fewer cars in the right lane. W, who drives more aggressively, feels the pressure of my relaxed chug-along and tries for a nap. We're happy when we get closer to Bellingham and easy traffic.

My brother and sis-in-law from Switzerland meet us at Red Robin. I am boggled by the big portions of food and the steep food prices. We could feed 15 Indonesians a generous meal with our basic American menu for 4.

It's great to catch up on their recent big band trip to Cuba. My brother is a conductor and arranger, working with his band on an annual trip abroad. This year, his core crew is top musicians from Europe and the USA. They raise funds for their own airfare and the trip - plus a little extra for local musicians who play along. This year's locals can read anything put in front of them. That makes it a lot of fun.

Sunday

We leave the apartment in good order and turn off the lights at 8:00 a.m. "We'll be back!" as we leave for a week in Austin and Springfield, MO. 

First, we're at the Mountain View Gathering this morning. I forgot to take a picture of my brother but this guy is as close as it gets. I do a double-take as we arrive in the hall. We speak about our love for Indonesia and the work we do.

I find a spiritual sister in Keril. t's been good to get to know the congregation in the mountains of Washington. They're partnered with us since we left for Indonesia. The leaders treat us to lunch before a dash to the airport.

We get amazing news. You know how you cheered when someone did their first 5K race? And now cool it is when someone does a marathon. Never mind an Ironman (swimming, biking, and then a running marathon.)

We're staggered when our 50-something friend #LiaDreghiciu FINISHES 30 IRONMANS in 42 days. What?! She's a grandma - but one of the fittest extreme athletes we've met.

Lia wins 2nd place in the Triple DECA Ultra Triathlon Continuous, women’s race, in Italy! Her husband #BenSterciuc has kept us up to date since the beginning of September. Today he posts:

"Today, on October 13, my amazing, petite yet mighty lady (#13), makes history by becoming the 1st American to ever complete this race!

Help me congratulate Lia for completing the following distances in this race:

Swim 114 km ( 71 miles) in 94 hrs

Bike 5400 km (3,375 ml) in 497 hrs

Run 1,266 km (792 ml) in 408 hrs

How could she race for 42 days? For 1,003 hours?

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13."

Oh Lia, Lia!! We pray that you rest well as your body heals; we pray for renewal and invigoration after this feat. 

She's astonishing. What she's accomplished is unbelievable. Would you PLEASE support her charity of choice (Vital Solutions) so her efforts pay off? Be generous ... she has chosen a charity that cares for the poorest as well as disaster victims around the world.

Titik sends a picture from Bandung of her marvel-worthy bouquet for the morning Gathering. She constructs beautiful structures with unusual combinations of greens and blooms.

Read more:

*Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments. Psalm 119:73

Paul wrote: So then, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you. 2 Thessalonians 2:15

Moravian Prayer: Teacher, open our hearts to your teachings so that we may be your disciples. Your lessons bring us comfort and hope; for this, we are grateful. Give us the courage to share your lessons with the world. 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.