There's no place like "home sweet home"

Tuesday - Wednesday (and Thursday-ish), October 29-31, 2024

Today is travel day. We've taken our funny family photo and prayed for each other. Timo and his sons are awake when we say goodbye.

Kim picks us up after 6:00 a.m. and drives us and our 4 suitcases to the airport. It gives us one more chance to see each other face to face, which we treasure. The luggage holds a year of Canadian and American goodies that will be strictly rationed for when we miss our families.

Yesterday, I rammed a full-sized down pillow into my carryon bag. Once we're on the plane, I pull it out to pad the seat on the 16.5 hour non-stop flight to Singapore. It pushes me forward so my knees touch the seat ahead. BUT wow, what comfort. We have a down underlay on our sleeper sofas in Seattle (who needs artificial memory foam!) and this works the same way. My back does just fine on the long ride.

Wednesday-ish ... We have a 5-hour layover in Singapore Airport, which is an interesting, clean, and efficient space. There are marvels everywhere: orchid and waterlily gardens, aquariums (like the one below), waterfalls, and lots of shopping. We cruise by it all on our way to the lounge.

Then we climb aboard a 1.5 hour flight to Jakarta.

The airport shuttle takes 3 hours to reach Bandung, thanks to the skillful driver. When we disembark at the shuttle terminal, W spots a taxi SUV across the street. It's big enough to stuff in everything we're carrying. W wanders over to find the taxi driver, who cheerfully takes us up the hill to home.

Thursday-ish

The clock bumps forward 14 time zones so we lose half a day. We are at our place before 4:00 a.m. Thursday (2 p.m. Wednesday, Vancouver time). It's one of our fastest itineraries: 32 hours, door to door. The dogs give us a tail-wagging welcome.

I unpack a frozen coffee cake and cookies (thanks Keelee!) plus sausage (thanks Norm and Shane) and stash them in our freezer. While I'm at it, why not? I unpack everything. I dread facing luggage and laundry that first morning after we get home. It only takes a half-hour to empty household items, books, and my personal things.

Oh yippee. Look who's waiting for us in bedroom and bathroom ... roaches. At least they're dead. W plucks them off the floor and flushes them away.

I write a note to the helpers: "Please don't talk too loudly when you come; W and I are sleeping in." When we wake, they've started laundry and washed the dishes. They show me an outbreak of black beetles in the kitchen.

"Toss every package with bugs in it!" I say. There are swarms in the dry noodles. Meanwhile, PakG washes and fluffs up Bailey the small poodle. So cute.

I weigh in - yikes! the last time I was this heavy, I was pregnant. "Time for restraint," she reminds herself as she refrigerates the Aldi chocolate bars.

The American lifestyle of driving everywhere and eating rich food is hard on a body. We can't wait to restore our health with walks and better eating. I decide on a vegan-ish food plan to reset my taste buds and gut.

The trees are blooming as we stroll through the neighborhood.

These 1' (30 cm) clumps of blossoms dangle overhead.

W unpacks his gear and clothing and then asks, "Want to walk to #NaraPark for breakfast?" We're both feeling the exhaustion of not sleeping and of sitting too long. A walk sounds good though the day is heating up. W brought along a replacement battery for the "dead" robot vacuum; it hums around the bedroom while we're gone.

I'm not hungry, but why not go? There's a halloween party for little kids at Nara.

Every preschooler is accompanied by a nanny. In 2-child families, there are 2 nannies. This is a well-to-do group.

The little kids run around, blow bubbles, look at each other's costumes, and admire the tortoises, hedgehogs, and owls.

The restaurant brings a soup we haven't ordered. We taste it and get charged on our bill. Ah, lesson learned: we'll turn it away next time. It's beef and peanuts in broth. I order my regular noodles but can't even finish those. We take leftovers home.

On the way, we spot a dozen guys moving a huge display case out of a restaurant. Things are still done by hand. When something doesn't succeed, it's shifted away and a new idea replaces it.

Baby Dutch was great at first, tasty and reasonably priced. After the soft launch ended, prices kept going up while the food quality went down. The pancakes were overcooked to hard. The toppings became less appetizing, too. Now they're out of business.

We hit two grocer to check off the helper's list. We're restocking the basics: vegetables, rice, eggs, milk, etc. I have no appetite at lunch but W tries to eat. We finish cleanup and rest in early afternoon.

The collection of interesting dried leaves and moss is growing. I stack it on a slab of tree trunk we rescued from the neighborhood junk pile.

Four stumps have been filled and sealed with polyurethane. They sit on the Porch under cover until we need them for bigger events.

Our monthly email updates are due tomorrow. Oh oh! I usually have more margin to write them. Off to work! The benefit of our annual "quick trip" back to the USA/Canada is that we're back to work on the day we return. Both e-new updates are soon written and scheduled to drop tomorrow morning,

Friday

We walk at 6:00 a.m. in the cool morning air. The trees bloom over our heads.

I love the way these 4"(9cm) flowers hang from bare vines.

It storms much of the day. I call Mom to catch up on the guests who have gone home. She's resting after the exertion of company. It would even be a lot for a healthy person. She's our socialite and the heart center of the family.

My main chore is to clean the aquariums on the Porch. The tanks are green from overfeeding = algae. The number of fish has declined but they're prolific breeders. The population goes up with balanced food and clean water.

I empty the fish bowls one at a time and then IbuS scrubs the Bali glass. Bali glassblowers form glass vases, bowls, and other containers on wooden roots. The wood smokes but doesn't catch on fire as they work. The glass drapes tightly on the wood.  Each piece is as unique as the wood under it. This one is over 2' (70cm) tall.

I've always done the fish cleanup after we've been away but I've come to my senses. Will the helpers feed less after dealing with the green? Maybe. By the time the fish and plants return to their habitat, the glass glows blue again.

I take a tour of the yard. Oh my, the garden is a mess: weeds are popping up everywhere. A rash of beetles drift across the Porch into the house from the garden. Must be their season. I nudge them outside with my flip-flops.

Tiny avocados hang from the tree in the backyard. We'll have fruit in a few months.

Amaryllis and red fruit on a P. macrocarpa shrub create a pop of color in one corner.

The lemon tree is heavy with dozens of lemons. The rose branches have gone wild. A few are blooming but they need pruning.

We join an online meeting with leaders of Asian international churches. Most need more staff. Some have just moved to new countries, which is a cultural challenge. We pray together before hanging up. W and I are dozing in place: it's 11:00pm, Seattle time ... so we're sleepy.

The red rice is delicious at lunchtime. Oops. "There are bugs everywhere in the rice," notes IbuS. I tossed the bag into an airtight container yesterday, just in case. I'd spotted a dusty layer on the bottom of all the natural rice and wondered. See the black flecks? Yup - extra protein. That expensive package is going back to the store ASAP. When W gets there, there's no rice on the receipt. They gave it to us for free?

They've spread through the entire kitchen. It takes me until evening to take out the bins, sort, toss, and wash. Not the way one would choose to spend Friday but hey, we're home!

Read more:

*Some take pride in chariots and some in horses, but our pride is in the name of the Lord our God. Psalm 20:7

*Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 

"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.” Isaiah 55:6-13

*There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12

Moravian Prayer: God our cornerstone, your power brings salvation to the world. It is your will by which we live, and your name that we praise. Amen.

A difficult goodbye

Thursday, October 24, 2024

Autumn is stunning in the Pacific Northwest. Walking 5 meters out the back door, I snap photos of the forest. The trees and moist ground absorb the smells and sounds of city life.

It's a treat to refresh our eyes and lungs with the acres of green behind our neighborhood. A creek runs through the dip between our street and the next one. Sometimes coyotes, deer, rabbits, and raccoons visit, though we live in the city.

A beautiful parcel arrives via post. Our friend has filled the box with 25 home-baked espresso-chocolate cookies. They go into the freezer until we pack for home. All year long, I'll ration them for times of discouragement or stress = her instant touch of love and friendship. THANK YOU, Keelee.

We meet Andy for breakfast. His group partners with us for teaching and humanitarian projects. 

The pancakes and omelet hit the spot.

Today we start to pack our suitcases for home. Then we throw a few things into a duffel for the weekend trip to Canada.

Friday

We're on our way to see our moms by 7:00 a.m. W doesn't want to get stuck at the border. My mom lives in one city, but he has a lunch date with his mother about an hour away.

The blueberry fields offer a splash of color in front of "Old Indian" mountain. That's politically insensitive now but that's what we called it as kids. (I don't know its actual name.) W drops me off at Mom's before he drives to his mother's.

My brother from Germany and his daughter are already at our family home. From the back, he looks like his oldest brother and like Dad did. Same posture, same desk.

Sandy, who masterfully manages Norm's work and Mom's care, has set up a digital screen for Mom. We can all send current photos to her via an app. It's her reminder of family around the world. We post for pictures with Mom. Our youngest sibling is internet tracker averse, so I blank out his face.

My niece and I walk along the dike beside the Hope Slough. It was Mom's favorite walk for decades.

The maples are glorious, shedding their leaves in the drizzle. How did we survive, living under this grey sky?

Saturday

I hang out with Mom most of the day. She's very frail. We have this time - precious and too short - to talk, eat, and sit together.

Many of our family memories were served on Mom's dishes and shaped by her hospitality. My niece and I go through the china cabinet and drawers. "This is your chance to find things that remind you of Grandma." She fills a box with dishes, trays, and other items she likes. She'll take them to her place in Germany next week.

I set the table with the best china, crystal goblets, and Mom's "good" cutlery. It brings back memories of doing this since I was 16 years old and we moved into this house (in 1972). My brother Norm brings Chinese food from The Capital. 

"This may be the last time we sit around the table like this," Norm notes. Unfortunately our youngest sibling has the stomach flu and misses supper. 

W and a guest buss the dishes into the kitchen. I quickly wash them by hand like Mom taught me. My niece plays a mini-concert on the piano and helps in the kitchen as we're wrapping up. Soon everything is packed away. Who knows if we get to do this again.

Sunday

We speak 3X in a local congregation. Mom's care-pack of four amazing! women get Mom there at 10:00. It's the first time she and Norm have heard us speak in person. Her friend Donna comes, too. Donna's hydrangeas caught my eye on our walk the other day. What magnificent pinks.

My younger brother and his kids stay home to visit. "We see each other only every two years." My nephew lives in Vancouver.

By the time W and I get to Mom's after the third service, it's 1:30. I hug her neck many times and record her memories and things she wants me to remember. We talk about Dad and how much she thinks of him in our interactions: he shaped most of my young thinking and values. And our personalities were similar.

There will be times I need her counsel and encouragement, even when she's gone. We remind each other of God's goodness in giving us this family. We also say aloud how much we love each other. Mom prays a blessing of peace over me, W, and our work.

Our youngest son drops in for a few hours. He lives in Seattle and hasn't been here for years. He and Grandma have some special time together, too. It's a double-blessing; he sees his cousins and his uncle lookalike. My brother takes his son back to Vancouver late in the afternoon. 

It's been a moving puzzle of family, these last weeks. Mom personally assures each child and grandchild that they are special to her and known by God. "He knows your name. Your future is in His hands."

W and I visit W's mother on the way back to Seattle. Can you spot the trackhoe (yellow machine, halfway up) cutting the face of the mountain along the freeway? Looks precipitous. 

The blaze of blueberries stands out against the mountain range.

W poses with his mom before we say goodbye and exchange hugs. She shoos us out the door with concern for our safety; it's rainy and getting dark outside.

We cross the border without a hassle. The border guard is crabby and holds up a long line of cars with detailed questions. When he gets to us, we have a question. He answers and waves us through. As the sun goes down, the roads light up, slick with rain.

Through the mountain passes, the clouds billow above us.

Monday

This morning, our middle son and his family drive through those passes to see Grandma. Meanwhile, W packs so we know which extra items fit into his luggage. I stock up on household things to last the year in Indonesia, so my suitcases fill up quickly. We head home tomorrow.

Our daughter Kirsten recommends Fang's Noodle House (Totem Lake) for lunch. OOOOOh. Is this the perfect chewy hand-pulled noodle? The taste and texture are outstanding. Highly recommended.

W's running errands. He drops off sacks of books at Half Price Books and picks up some final computer gear. That gives me a few hours to do laundry, clean house, and refresh the bedding. Our daughter arrives in 2 weeks to visit Grandma. During her trip, she will stay in our flat and connect with family and friends in Seattle.

There's time to set the table for supper, too. The grand/kids come over (downstairs from their house) one more time. I make Mandarin Chicken, while W picks up noodles and green beans.

Read more: the prayer of Jesus

*[Jesus told his disciples,] "This, then, is how you should pray:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. [Amen.]

 

"For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

Castles, late books, and expats galore

Sunday, October 20, 2024

We get no sabbath, which we miss. Today continues yesterday's discussions about potential security issues for those who live abroad.

I pluck some greens off a tree and put them on the table to unknot my mind as we review potential dangers.

We enjoy lunches with other expats and make new connections. People who live globally have interesting stories.

One day we eat wonderful Chinese food. Another day we try a Peruvian restaurant housed in a classic Springfield building. We eat leftovers from each place for at least one or two more meals. The bill is normally $30-40 for the two of us. We keenly feel the sticker shock; we'd feed a small group for that back home.

Look at this tin ceiling and the old chandelier.

The wood carvings on the old bar are intact.

We walk back to training and spot a wasp nest forming in a painted doorway. Most Midwest construction is brick, unlike the wood used on the West Coast. Despite attempts at revitalization, few shops and restaurants are open Sunday or Monday.

For another lunch, we eat Dutch crepes served with smoked sausage, potatoes, raisins, and bananas. I take a picture so I can replicate the unusual mix when we get home.

The rose bushes along the parking lot are fragrant in the hot afternoon sunshine.

By the time we're headed back to the hotel, it's often dark.

W is curious about Bucky's, a midwest "thing." So we go in one day after work.

Its shelves carry high-calorie snacks and ranch-style souvenirs. In the center, some guys are barbecuing beef and chopping it for sandwiches. They make a noisy production of yelling at each other and slamming down the knife. Must be a boy thing.

Want the Western look? You may find it here. We leave empty-handed.

Tuesday

We fly to Seattle late Monday night after a final day about practical risk management. We unlock the door to our flat and haul in our luggage after 1:30 a.m., toss in a load of laundry, and fall asleep after 2:00.

We wake up this morning in our own beds, eat breakfast, and open the mail. My book series arrived while we were gone, too late to take along for those who asked for a copy. (We forgot to order them before we came - too much to do back then?) I'll stash them until our next visit.

It's a chore and pre-packing day. I start to refill a bottle from the tap in the laundry room and forget about it, flooding the floor. Mopping up the dust accumulating in the corners over time is an unexpected win! hehe We toss wet carpets and towels into the washing machine.

W has caught a cold as usual after travel. I avoid close proximity for a day or two. I don't want it! We prepare for Sunday's talk and sort through books.

The guys brought a bookshelf from upstairs into my basement office. The grandkids carry down loads as I take them off the upper shelves.  I'm deciding what to keep, rehome, or toss. The books make me smile: they contain memories of what I've learned, seen, and absorbed on their pages. I make a few giveaway piles and shelve the rest.

Kirsten is sorting her photos and finds a pic my Dad sent to our kids years ago. He included this tagline: Wow! Too bad you didn't know her sooner (= me as a little girl.) Lucky for them: I was a tomboyish whirlwind in pretty dresses, thanks to Mom. Looks like that day, Dad was preparing for summer by putting away the storm windows.

The younger grandkids sleep over tonight. They fall asleep quickly and without fuss. Good kiddos! (or Good Parents!) Their older sister is at orchestra practice and their older brother is browsing a book we bought at Windsor Castle (think: real knight armor, castle photos, and turrets.)

Wednesday

Sleepover is a success. The kids and W are sick so I sleep on my office sofa. I hear the hacking and coughing a few times in the night. (I'm trying to prevent getting ill as I have one more chance to see my mom who is very frail. That's this weekend.)

We empty two bookshelves from upstairs. The kids run down our books as I pull them off the shelves. What a boost! If I had to run them down, it would take a lot longer. I shelve mine of put them in giveaway bags.

The kids pile W's books and magazines in heaps before I get downstairs. Unfortunately, his office is completely full; when I come down, they've stacked his books in my office until he gets to them.

The kids head up to lunch, which their mom made before heading out to work. (She's amazing.) I tidy up, remake the sofa bed, and cook lunch for us: an omelet and a chopped salad. W is "under the weather" so he takes a shower and preps the PPT for Sunday's talk before resting.

I clear my books and W gets to his after a few days. The library card catalog is still going strong; art and office supplies are easy to find.

Read more:

*You are my witnesses, says the Lord. Isaiah 43:10

*Jesus said [to his followers], “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  Acts 1:8

Moravian Prayer: Lord, you said you are the vine, and we are the branches. You ask us to carry your message and share it with those we encounter. At times, the mission is arduous, but your grace and our faith in you is constant. Be with us. Amen.