Settling back in - with wonder

Thursday, April 9, 2026

Today is balcony day. That means a thorough sweep of the corners, washing and oiling furniture, and clearing drains. 

The balcony was the roof covering a terrace until we cut in a door from the second floor and put a railing around it. Last week in Bali, we saw a few ideas for the floor: do we paint it black and white? or cover it with small light-colored gravel? (your opinion?)

The concrete roof is supported on concrete pillars. After heavy rainfall, leaves plug the drainage holes at each end, creating a deep pond. Water is heavy! yet there is no sagging or deterioration. We're no longer afraid that having people on it will collapse the rooftop balcony.

Our friend Robin left us 2 umbrellas, reminiscent of Balinese island style. W pops them open and sprays away the ant nest in one concrete base. We make sure the canvas is clean and let the sun shine on it for an hour or two. I edit a document in its shade. The mini-forest that takes up half the backyard is a soothing backdrop for focused work.

Before the afternoon rain, we stash the umbrellas and benches in a dry corner. Back inside my office, I am searching my craft shelf when I spot a box labeled "TRIM." What's inside? 

The writing on the label is mine. When incoming stuff warrants a new container, I sort and label it for later discovery. Must have been a while ago that I tossed these strips of lace and beaded edging into a Tupperware container. I've completely forgotten where it came from. (Maybe from Christine? or Elizabeth?)

A small gold strip of beading and bling fits exactly around the shade of a reading lamp. I stretch it just enough to touch at the back seam, with not a millimeter to spare. What a happy find!

OOh, look! Will the bigger strip of glitz in black and gold work for the lampshade covering an ugly ACE Hardware uplight? (The shade? 80% found in IKEA As-Is, years ago.) I keep the glue gun plugged in, attaching the crystals around the base.

After clipping the trim to fit, the remnant goes back into the box for another day. I turn on the light, happy with how it turns out.

The metallic gold lining sparkles. British design magazines are once again full of excessive decor, back to the 1990s. I remember when our Seattle living room had a curved 101-button Victorian sofa (in gold velvet, no less). Our 12'/4m drapes had European floral motifs.

 Our afternoon walk is a bit drizzly but it's a relief to stretch after a day at a desk. The wind broke off a branch, leaving green and blue berries intact between red leaves. What a spectacle of nature's colorway.

Friday
After a morning walk, the dogs get ready for breakfast. They're trained to sit and wait until we release them. Today, kibble is mixed with meat leftovers from the butcher at the expat grocer. They love it!

W heads to Jakarta overnight for meetings. I stay home for the restart of the English program. 

Today's evaluation is whether the volunteers know how to set up the class areas without us at home. They find out where the keys are hung and where volunteer snacks are stashed. It's half the size of the usual program, with many kids sick and some attending activities at their schools.

Keelee's cookies are an ongoing blessing for me. She put scripture stickers on the packets. 

I open the journal from last week and find random paintings on postcards, I played each day with watercolor and Chinese brushes. It took a while to get the right saturation - sure didn't happen on this first attempt.

None of it is precious. This used an eyebrow pencil, a water wash, and a dip into black paint. It's my favorite of the one-a-day fun.

Some gets tossed out and others are left behind.

Working on the Porch, I remember that the yard started like this (below). We planned a playing field for kids, with half left wild for camping. However, while we were away one day, the contractor poured concrete paving paths. It seemed too much trouble to pick them up again, so we planted around them.

"At least no kids will be kicking or hitting balls through our windows," W said, looking at the bright side. 

From the main porch, we have a great view and a good workspace. After 3 months, half the backyard is still treed and half is lawn. The seeds we plucked on a hike have produced +8'/ 3m flowering annuals. The plants will keep growing to about 10'/3.3m and then dry up. By then, they've reseeded. The next batch starts to flower when it is knee high.

The day fills with edits and chores. And ends with a bath.

Saturday
Juno and I walk before coming back to the day's work. It's mind-blowingly relaxing not to plan a Sunday talk, check in with the team about weekend details, or lay out clothing to minimize Sunday morning's decisions.

The morning feels cold. Yesterday I wore a sweater the whole day. Today may be the same. PakG calls in sick so is not here to help set up for the kids or move the car. Ugh. Good thing that I didn't go to Jakarta. We pray that the rain holds off until the children leave. Yesterday's deluge arrived at 2:30PM; it was so fierce and heavy that there's no way we could have held classes.

About half the usual number of kids show up. There's a big school swim meet and a bunch are sick. I get to hug the volunteers and pass out cookies. Answering our prayers, God keeps the tropical downpour away until everyone is safely home. We show the team where the staff snacks and keys are stored.

It's exciting to watch the splashdown of the moon capsule off San Diego. What wonders the universe holds. How generous of God to add curiosity and mental acuity to the gifts He invested in humanity! He could have made us dumb, blind, and unaware but instead, He chose to explore and delight in his creation ... with his creatures.

Some of us have more courage than others. The upswing into the helicopter from the Front Porch raft would be enough to make me feel faint. Never mind floating around the moon while doing math and science experiments, before entering the atmosphere at a blistering 5000oF at 30X the speed of sound. Boom! Not for me. But I like to cheer others as they succeed in their adventures!

W comes back in early evening.

Sunday
We smell the new gardenias along the street and notice a double flower nearby

On the shoulder of the street, these roots hang from the branches above. The growing tips are red but the long strands have paled to creams and beiges.

The gardens of #WaroengEthnic are mature. The lacy basin at the bottom of a fern anchors it to the tree.

I'm in the mood for spices so lunch is Rendang (beef stewed in spices and coconut milk) with Sambal Hujo (hot sauce) on the side. Yum.

While we were away, a huge tree fell on the roof of a coffee shop on the next street.

We want to support them, so W orders coffee and a sampling of donuts.

They have a marvelous gardener (look at that Spanish moss!) and a relaxing courtyard, 20'/6m lower than the street.

Fragrant verbena lines the path to our table.

Monday
On the morning walk, we spot the last blooms on a pod. One-day flowers start to open at the bottom of the clump. Over the course of a month, petals emerge higher and higher until they last ones reach the tip.

After meetings, it's "off to work" on the Porch. Feeling blessed.

Read more:
* And the LORD stood beside Jacob and said, “Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land.” Genesis 28:13,15

* Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers? Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death. When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. Psalm 94:16-19

He said to them, “When I sent you out without a purse, bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “No, not a thing.” Luke 22:35

God, you love us all the time: when we are traveling and when we are home. The trials of the road tend to sweep from our minds your gift of peace. Forgive our forgetfulness. Restore your joy to us. Amen.

From sunshine at the beach to afternoon rain at home

Last week, we took a break in Bali, a 2-hour flight away. We don't usually "need" or take holidays since we live in a place that feels like a tropical adventure every day. But we were long overdue for time away.

The beach weather was wonderful most of the week, refreshing our souls and unwinding our bodies after wrapping up the last season. The beauty of Easter, the power of the resurrection, and the joy of our salvation lifted our spirits.

On the last morning's walk, I stubbed my toe, which bruised almost to mid-foot. That put a damper on plans to run around on our final day.

We flew to Jogja overnight, which lies mid-island (Java). The art and pottery made there are beautiful. Some reminded me of Mexican painted pottery.

 I found a ceramic plate and a lamp base. Both will be shipped to us (for $4.50). The final leg home was on the train, a long .... journey that landed us in our own city. (It's one way to skip the hair-raising shuttle from Jakarta airport.) The greens were green outside the train window.

Parts of Java are very mountainous, with rice paddies carved into the slopes.

Little sheds dot the fields.

Some paddies are on the edges of villages.

As rice grains are harvested, the stalks are tied in bundles that are removed when they dry up.

Many rivers run through the island, making irrigation a simple diversion into the rice fields.

We pulled into Bandung shortly after sunset at 6PM.

PakG was waiting at the station. It was raining so we were happy we didn't have to flag down a taxi. PakG pointed out some trees that fell in last week's tornado and the heavy rainfall that swept across the hill last Friday.

A big tree pulled out of the ground directly across the street from the Project where we live. It toppled into the lane of our old neighborhood, missing the houses on either side - including ours. Its branches snagged the gates on both sides and blocked the neighborhood's entrance. That's a great concern with so many elderly living there.  Everyone worked together to get the trees cut up and the branches off the road and fences.

We were thankful for God's protection on everyone! 3 blocks away, a huge tree decimated the fence, roof, and walls of a coffee shop and crushed a car. Since no one insures their property, the loss is borne by the owner.

"Very unusual. I've never seen anything like it," PakG said. Near his place, he watched a landslide happen. Though he shouted "Landslide" at the neighbors, no one would come out of their house. The locals were terrified because of the wind: it sounded like a freight truck coming their way. 

Wednesday
We're home! How wonderful to wake in our own beds. We missed the drama of the weather here, but the yardman comes to help tidy up what is left after PakG and others cleaned the yard and driveway, raking away leaves, dragging fallen branches, and unplugging drains.

After a walk, IbuSusi drops by to say hello and share cookies and tea. She lives next door to our former house. She remembers when the Project was an unfenced lot with a small house on it. "The kids used to play ball in the field." When someone bought it, he fenced it off and built his big house on it. After he died, the Project fell into ruin, sitting empty for a decade.

How we miss our LIPI neighbors! They are the kindest, most gracious people. I invite her back, telling her to bring a few more women along next time. We'll have tea together.

It's good to have Ramadan and the heavy travel season over for another 11 1/2 months. Muslims around us are eating again. The fasting month is hard on everyone. Energy is low; people are hungry and thirsty by nightfall. 

For lunch, IbuS cooks rice plus chicken minced into vegetables. W and I head to the grocer for fresh produce. At a nearby clothing outlet, he exchanges a gifted batik shirt (2XL) for one that fits.

Fresh-baked bread is my supper. I top it with Lisa's NZ chocolate-nut blend. Yum. We stashed the remainder of a birthday treat (chocolate cake from #Mom'sBakery) into the freezer before we left for Bali. We couldn't take it along but it was too good to waste. The cake has frozen brick-solid but thaws quickly in the 80o (26C) room.

We hear the hiss of water hitting the leaves across the yard and watch as the rain sweeps in. I hang some rooted sweet potatoes on the lips of the big vases holding tropical fish. Let's see if they will keep the unfiltered water clean. Since tropical fish are naturally happy in this weather, we don't bother with a heater. Snails and rain overflow keep the water mostly clear and fresh. Solar fountains aerate the water with a 6-8" spray.

Read more:
* You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Psalm 23:5

* How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! Psalm 84:1

* [Jesus told his disciples] In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? John 14:2

* The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 1 Corinthians 15:26

* So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Colossians 3:1

Moravian Prayer: Resting Savior, we mourn your death. In spirit—we visit your resting place and remember your suffering. We thank you that our grief is not like the disciples’ grief, for we know what comes on Easter morning.

Finally, God of life, after long, dark days, you make the sun rise once more, for the Son has risen. Our lives are changed. Our hope is reborn. Now thank we all our God! Amen.

Getting old is kinda fun

Friday, March 27, 2026

We're planning new things for the season ahead. We love these friends and coworkers, Yoel and Ester. Time together is a great blessing to us. We have lunch at #MissBeeProvidore .

Of course I have to try something new: barbecue chicken, anyone? Pretty good.

We come back to the Project to visit on the porch overlooking the garden. It's relaxing: we pull out Keelee's birthday-candle cookies, plus maple leaf cookies and toffee chocolate from Trader Joes. It's a pleasure to pray together over people we care for and work we are passionate about.

They gift us with the most beautiful handmade ulos, fabric woven in North Sumatra. It's just what this corner needs. W and I left the chairs from games night since we have another event coming up soon.

I wake an hour before midnight and get up to write what I remember in my last hour of being 60-something. God's faithfulness runs through every line. When I've struggled, he's been good and very patient. 

I cross into the new day, writing hopes for the next decade. This pretty much describes it all.

Saturday = 70X around the sun
W brings out gifts. It's a delight to open a calendar featuring grandkids! (Oh Melissa, where did you have time to bring that joy to my heart?) and some Forte teas.

He hands me 2 flat packages. Kirsten has assembled a photo/message book -> twice. The first company couldn't get the photos sorted online so gave K a refund. She recreated and edited it using another firm so W could bring it back in person. Surprise: the first company fixed things and sent a good copy ... now I have two different books, with some editions to the original.

I saw the post on a second FB account when K asked for participation. And then I put it out of my mind. So it's a complete surprise to me, too! I tuck it away to read when my mind is less busy. (When I do, I am overwhelmed. I shake my head and wish I were the person described in it. Lord have mercy!)

Tabitha calls from Malaysia. She's been dear to us since she was a youth leader years ago. We met while we taught in Singapore and Malaysia. She knows good food. We anticipate seeing her on the rare occasions we make it to Kuala Lumpur. It's wonderful to catch up and get a sense of how to pray for each other in the coming months.

Sunday
It's our final weekend of leading people we love SO much. The volunteers are ready to serve.

#TitikBadudu's flowers bring such joy. "The orchid is for you," she explains. Can't wait to enjoy it on the Porch.

This week she has made 2 bouquets.

Plus a mound of roses and lilies from our "big sister, " IES Jakarta. My heart is full.

They pray for us. 

We pray for them by team and over the entire Family.

A birthday cake is waiting at the potluck. The Filipina teachers bring me a plate of their special cooking, which is good because so many want to chat that we don't get to the buffet.

There's also a cone of yellow rice called nasi kuning, surrounded by delicious sides. I'm told how to cut it and then that I need to feed it to a loved one (W of course). Half the onlookers moan, "Ah, like a wedding!" Smiles.

Angie has assembled a memory book of our time at IES Bandung, with community notes and photos, plus her creative artwork. Wow! That's a treasure I'm not going to rush through.

After many Auf Wiedersehen's, PakTota and his family drop us off at the shuttle station, from where we head to some much-needed rest.

Read more:
* Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant. Psalm 86:16

* Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. John 16:23

Moravian Prayer: Your promises, loving God, are never-ending. You give us strength, wisdom, and courage. You are as compassionate as a loving parent when we fail. You are above all, gracious and merciful as we seek to do your will. Thank you. Amen.