The world is a beautiful place ...

Saturday, June 14, 2026
I'm writing when W heads out for morning coffee with "the Saturday guys." Every Saturday for the decades when we lived in Seattle, W met with them. He tries to see the guys every time we get back. Our son T goes along this morning. 

The kitchen is fragrant from the mock orange blossoms on the stem plucked yesterday.

W goes to the camera shop to see what they'll give him for his old gear and cameras. Meanwhile, I dump powders and leaves from the spice cabinet into a big jar for disposal. Most of the spices smells fresh, even after 12 years sealed in cool, air-tight containers. But I need the glass jars for our Indonesian kitchen.

By the time the bottom shelf is 3/4 empty, my hands are wrinkled and I'm ready for a break.

I have lunch before washing jars and lids from the lowest level and scrubbing the bottom shelf. There's time for some laundry, shaking out rugs, and vacuuming. I'll have to wash down the floors where they touch the walls and corners. Without trim around the edges of the rooms, dust and dirt accumulate. The margins are due for a deep clean on hands and knees.

Sunday
We're at Cedar Park for the morning service. Ps Jay reminds us that the Spirit of God lives in God's children and guides in God's ways. W visits with former students and I hug old friends.

Lunch at the golf course is with a dear friends. Bev and I used to walk the neighborhoods early in the morning. We catch up on kids, health, and next things. (Unfortunately, W's camera lens is blurry.)

The kids invite us up for supper. Time with them and the grands is special.

Monday
W's book on Paul's practises and writing about women in ministry is trending on Amazon. With new restrictive culturalization happening at SBC, it's a timely read. (Click the link above to get your own copy.) He reads each comment. He's taken by the interactions between people who have read it as well as those who comment before reading it.

It's a quiet morning, between laundry, packing suitcases, and cleaning the flat. I check in on Mom: she's having a hard time sleeping with new meds. We pray for her safe and soon Home-going. What a release it will be from her pain and suffering. 

Before noon, I meet with two of three women in a 20+ year accountability group. Our initials were WPPRs (W: oh, the Whoppers!) haha The name stuck and we have remained friends for over 30 years. The cafe is hot and noisy so it's hard to hear each other. But we visit, chat, and pray together. What a precious time.

W picks me up and we drive to Spokane to visit a longtime friend of the heart. Time with Martha refreshes my soul, every time. Jeremy and Rebekah join in for supper at the German restaurant Das Steinhaus. Sadly, I'm not even slightly hungry but the food smells good. I eat a quarter of a Reuben sandwich and put the rest away for another time. (W and I eat it on the way to the cabin.)

Jeremy and I walk the country road near his place. What beautiful silence - and what polite neighbors. They slow their pickups and cars to minimize clouds of dust as they drive by.

Wildflowers have sprung up along the gravel road.

The skies are filled with color as we enjoy dessert and prayer before bedtime.

Tuesday
We wake early: at 4:30AM, it's starting to get light out. We've said goodbye last night so W and I pack the generous gifts of goodies (pastries, eggs from R's chickens), and a bag to pass on to Melissa. I can't resist a photo of the flowers along Martha's sidewalk.

We're on our way about 6AM. 

The mountains and ranchland surround us as we pass state lines into Montana. 

Long trains wind their way around the rivers and forests.

Before long, we're at Flathead Lake, one of the cleanest lakes in the world. It has the largest lake surface area in the western USA.

We make a quick stop at the Lakeside Marina to share my leftover Reuben sandwich before driving to camp. 

On the way into the campground, we spot a genius solution around a firepit = the long pipes offer low maintenance and lots of seating.

The big windstorm earlier in the spring destroyed 30 trees. Looks like that wind also blew over the birch that shaded our cabin. Volunteers cleared the trees off the campground.

We have a quick look around. The doors need painting. Some siding needs repair. The kitchen faucet is leaking. Otherwise, it's in good order.  Keelee and Jenn cleaned and closed the cabin last fall. It is spotless. Paul comes to turn on the water. 

We do a quick dust and vacuum to get the winter grit off the surfaces so it's ready for unpacking. After things are put away, I melt a Trader Joes Belgian chocolate bar, smash roasted almonds, pistachios, and a few toffee bars and stir them together, adding salt and vanilla. After it cools in the fridge for an our, it's not bad. I break it into pieces and store it in the fridge again. Here it's cool enough to leave fruit and chocolate on the counter (47-80oF/8-27oC). I'm in the habit of refrigerating everything in the tropics for protection against heat and ants.

We walk up to an early supper at Tex and Jerry's. What do you know? It's Taco Tuesday. We're 20 minutes early for supper, but too weary to find another place to eat. It's worth the wait since the food is utterly delicious and hits the spot. We plot to bring the grandkids up here when they come.

My new-to-me Merrills, snapped up online by Kirsten, are comfortable.

Out walking off the meal, we meet Yvonne, who is as curious about a cabin for sale as we are. The owner lets us in to look around. He has an offer but hasn't decided if that's enough to sell it.

Nature is largely left to its own creativity. Several residents are woodworkers, so they'll make beautiful spoons and vases from these little burl pouches.

Wednesday
It's a short night. I'm wide awake at 3AM. It's very quiet! here. You hear every crackle of the metal roof as it adjusts to night temperatures. Every chirp of a bird. Each scuffle of branch against branch. I listen to Ezra/Nehemiah from scripture, read some Bonhoffer, and write. By 5AM, it's getting light out.

Ugh. We leave the suitcase of food from the pantry behind. We've accumulated canned goods and stable foods over the past decade, each time we were back to Seattle. This was our chance to eat up and clear it out. I berate myself: I should have checked what got packed into the car!

Instead of taking a leisurely stroll around the campground, we waste the morning grocery shopping.  Ugh. At two stores, we buy pasta, pancake mix, jam, sugar, and other staples. We'd have to get fresh vegetables, potatoes, and fruit anyway. Distances of 30-40 miles are "nothing," driven here.

When we return before noon, I am still hungry for breakfast. I unpack the groceries while W checks us in with the office. Then I make pancakes, spicy chicken-mango sausages, and hash browns. The fresh cherries we've purchased round out the meal. We don't yet have water in the kitchen, so W offers to wash dishes in the laundry sink. No way am I turning down that offer. 

The faucet works again by evening. I seem to remember its 0-ring drying out over winter, spilling water everywhere, and then working after it gets rehydrated.

I'm sleepy by mid-afternoon. Glacier Park is another third as high in elevation as Bandung - and I haven't been home for a month. It must be time for a rest: I crash out for an hour. I make loaded baked potatoes, cherries, and coleslaw for supper. I add a half-apple to my plate.

We walk the grounds for an hour, meeting friends old and new. Reflecting on the faithfulness of God with those who have served Him over decades of ministry encourages us.

The Christoffersons insist on our pic as well. (Since this is my journal, I might as well remember what we looked like in 2026.)

Read more:
* Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve me. Psalm 138:7

* I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my cause is with the LORD and my reward with my God. Isaiah 49:4

* God desires steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. Hosea 6:6

* Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” Luke 5:5

* Jesus said, “In the world you face persecution, but take courage: I have conquered the world!” John 16:33

* Paul said, “For last night there stood by me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before the emperor, and, indeed, God has granted safety to all those who are sailing with you.’” Acts 27:23-24

* Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” Hebrews 13:1-6

Moravian Prayer: Oh God, we pray that you protect the least among us. Help us find ways to aid those around us who need a helping hand. We know that when we help others, we are honoring you.

Lord, you know our families are a big part of our lives, as is our work. Help us to keep you in all parts of our lives; we need you there. Be with us on all our journeys. Help us to see you in those around us, regardless of how different they are from us. Amen.

Enjoying the Pacific Northwest

Wednesday, June 10, 2026
"Cmon, the rental car is parked close by," W says, grabbing our 2 heavy suitcases from the baggage carousel in SEA-TAC. "It will take us 10 minutes, and waiting for a shuttle will take even longer."

I'm never sure what "close" means since he's vigorous and doesn't estimate time or distance well. We pass a bus getting its tire changed. In less than 10 minutes, we are at the car. Whew.

I'd forgotten all the kinds of hydrangeas that bloom here.

They are blue or pink, depending on the acidity of the soil.

The grandkids and their parents come down to welcome us as we arrive from the airport. Leaving family behind is the highest cost of living abroad. Hugs and happy greetings are shared all around. During the first years when we visited, we bought a small gift for each child for each day. Eventually, their parents said, "Please don't! They have too much stuff already." (Don't we all!)

It's always a relief to walk into our basement flat. Our son checks that all is ready, bug-free, and clean. He turns on the heat. This trip, we are not back for long enough to unpack. W lines up 5 suitcases along the walls. He designates two for Indonesia. Those fill up quickly. I pull the day's clothing out of another. What visual clutter. I block. And block it out again.

Our Seattle base is neither big nor small, but efficient. It's more than enough for our annual drop-ins. The living room has facing sofas. One sofa becomes our bed each evening. When W works on his computer during the day, he sits on the other one.

2 bedrooms serve as our offices. Mine becomes a guest bedroom, with the same fold-down IKEA Beddinge sofabed as in the living room. Last year, we sold the old piano with its wonderful resonance and put my Kawai into the office.

The kitchen and dining area are used for tea parties with the grandkids and occasional meals.

The original plan for a light-filled shower in the bathroom was altered by the builder = the bathroom is bright but the shower is dark and uninviting. There's a walk-in closet/laundry, storage under the stairs, and storage under the garage. It's perfect for us. We fall into bed with relief in our "home away from home."

Thursday
We leave Seattle at 6AM to drive up to Canada to see Mom. It's a beautiful landscape through mountains and then along farm fields.

Mom has been on palliative care since December. Canada offers free medicine and at-home medical clinic advisors for end-of-life patients. But palliative care expires in 6 months, so Mom's has been renewed. 

Sandi, the overseer of her carers, plans Mom's medication so she is at her most lucid while we are there. Mom grips both my hands fiercely - she's always had strong hands. She is absorbed in the joy that lies before her. She reminds me several times that God is always good. That she is grateful for her carers and for her life. (What a gift Sandi and the other caregivers have given us all! We can't thank them enough.)

Mom's face is radiant with joyful anticipation. She looks forward to going Home and says we shall meet again. "Soon I will be gone from here but I'll see you again. I can't wait to see Jesus. I'm going to jump up and down before him and say, 'Thank you! Thank you for saving me.'"

I have to smile. She's never been a jumper or athlete - but I can imagine the day she comes face to face with her Savior. She loves the scriptures and knows them well. Her faith is both childlike and mature, deepening over a lifetime of faithful obedience. She's ready for heaven.

We pray together for each member of the family. Before we leave, my brothers and I agree on the next step for pain relief. Norm, who lives in town, has carried the load of her illness He and Sandi have great favor with the doctor. Instead of waiting through the weekend for a visit from the clinic staff, they come within hours to install an IV. Mom doesn't have to die in a hospital; she will transition to heaven from home.

We go to lunch with W's mom and sister. It's another sweet visit. Thea chooses her favorite restaurant, Newlands Golf Course. We are all disappointed when her favorite dish - Pacific salmon - is missing. She asks W questions about faith and works, the balance of knowing, being, and doing. It's wonderful to see the focus of age on what truly matters.

Next to us, a Red Hat women's lunch is in full cry. I ask if I can take pictures and air-drop them to a participant's phone.

"I'm the queen bee, so you have permission," remarks the lady closest to our table. "By the way, we're not always this happy. We've had our share of squabbles over the years, but today we are at peace." That makes me laugh.

Our next stop is tea with dear friends Lynette and Leroy. Lynette sends along Spekalaas cookies and her almond bread (YUM). We joke that everyone used to drive past Lynden until the Johnsons moved there; now we all stop in to say hello to these former university colleagues. They are at the heart of many friendships.

On a side trip to Nordstrom's Rack, W finds his birthday present: elegant black leather shoes. His last pair of dress shoes ("they're still good,") are 15 years old.

All 4 grandkids pile in the car while Opa turns it around for easy exit from the driveway. We laugh at their happy faces on this smallest-of-trips.

Friday, Waldemar's birthday
Melissa prepares an amazing breakfast feast: egg sandwiches, bacon, fruit, and cinnamon rolls. Young Levi has mastered sourdough and his fresh bread is better than a bakery's. We haven't been in Seattle in June for 12 years so being back for W's birthday is a rare treat.

Kim and I meet in the morning at our old stomping ground, Lake Forest Park's Third Place Commons. She's a wise mentor and advisor as well as one of my closest friends. Today she is my funny, compassionate, and intelligent gift to myself. Love you, Kim!

W picks me up to meet with Rich. He was my piano student for over a decade. He joined us for supper once a week, along with another adult student. We haven't seen each other in years.

We catch up and pray for him over a delicious dim sum lunch at Top Gun near Factoria. The sticky rice is as good as we remember, but the portions are huge.

Timothy orders Little Caesar's pizzas for supper. 

W takes along the grandkids to pick up the pizzas.

After supper, we take the boys on a walk. W only wants to go around the block. I need more of a stretch than that. We start out in the woods that surround the house. The hike up the driveway is steep.

The neighbor's trees have grown across the driveway, shading the apple trees we espaliered 30 years ago. Now they hardly bear fruit. "Sometimes people even come and pick the apples off," Levi says indignantly.

For 12 years, I haven't smelled the fragrant flowers at the top of the block. The shrub blooms only in June. I pluck off a short stem and inhale. And inhale. Such sweetness. I've been gone long enough to forget its name.

W and the boys head home while I finish the 2-mile loop. Lavender is waving along the sidewalk. I stroke the leaves to sniff the relaxing oils.

Wild roses bloom alongside.

The crabapples are ripening.

There's June color on every side.

I brought seed for these hot-pink, silver-leafed biennials to Indonesia one year, but they never germinated. They need frost and cold between growing seasons. Maybe some of us are like that.

These daisies remind me of the ones that popped up in Mom's garden year after year.

Tall "Paintbrush" spires wave in the evening breeze.

White and blue delphiniums are in bloom, too.

A few rabbits are hopping along in the yards. Living close to a greenbelt means all kinds of creatures roam nearby: raccoons, deer, coyotes, and more.

A 20-foot "feather tree" is close enough to stroke as I walk by.

I stroll through typical Seattle neighborhoods, with houses covered in wood or concrete siding that is painted dull grey, black, or blue.

Look at the dogwoods!

This dogwood tree has erupted in white clouds of 4" flowers.

Just before I walk down our driveway, I snap a photo of the trees beside the neighbor's driveway, growing in the swale beside the road. They block the view of cars coming up the hill and must be removed.

Read more:
* Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted, but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:30-31

Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2

Moravian Prayer: Jesus, you call us to continue the work you started here on earth: to find the lost, to heal the sick, to clothe the naked, and to visit the prisoner. Give us the strength to carry on this important and vital work. Amen.