Elections galore and food to remember

Monday, February 12, 2024 - a birthday of remembrance for Dr Hanna, who would have been 81 today.

I leash Juno and walk her for a few miles. She remembers the instructions from last week and sits immediately when we stop. After a few adjustments - and boy, is she a heavy lunk! and hard to shift to my side, she plunks herself beside me the minute we stop.

So ... the not-sitting was because she didn't wanted to? Hmmm. I praise and pet her vigorously when she gets it right. One of the reasons I'm strict with our dogs is for their safety - and mine.  She's strong and heavy so could probably pull me anywhere.

A few months ago, Juno spotted a cat, cutting across W's path as he was running. He tripped over her and skinned his face. Today, she pays attention when I preemtively say, "Leave it" as we pass some cats. She walks right by. Good girl.

It's a morning of meetings and writing. I'm speaking on divine healing for next weekend. I read an "oldie but goodie" about how God answers prayer, in addition to being captured by 5 stories of healing in the scriptures. What to keep, what to hold for another time?

The political signs are coming down, 3 days before the election. I spot this one lingering in the neighborhood. There's a fine if the campaign is caught with a sign still up today.

Parents take their kids to school while older teens and young adults head to work. There's a constant buzzing of motorcycles. Sometimes a whole family - dad, mom, school kids, and babies - rides on one bike.

After Christmas, I chose subdued brown, red, and black batik fabrics for the table. I still feel the Seattle "winter" in the dark of rainy January, though it is warm and wet in Bandung.

Today, when the tablecloth colors change to white and blue, it brightly refreshes the dining area.

 Lunch is at Tizi's, our friend's favorite family restaurant. 

The place has been open since her daughters were little girls. They remember swinging in the courtyard as kids.

At home, I clip some ferns that have seeded on the guava tree and give the daisies from last week's bouquets one more chance.

Tuesday

The day starts with a 5:30 meeting before a walk and more meetings. Overhead, the vines are ablaze with color.

The old fig tree is dripping with inedible figs. Wow - it could feed us all if the figs were good.

I love the natural companionship of these nurses, on a loop walk from the nearby hospital. They hold hands and chat.

All of MS Word disappears on my computer and I have to call W to fix it - almost opposite me on the clock. "Activate Word 365," the only option, isn't working. Ugh.

Laurel comes for lunch and then it's team meeting time.

Supper is simple: egg salad sandwich on homemade bread.

Ash Wednesday, Valentine's Day, Election Day

Kevin has sent his Lenten Devotional and we look forward to the daily challenges.

W and I call each other, he at night and I in the morning. Across this country, it's election day. People vote from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. across the nation.

Thursday

We hike the forest trails and the tea plantations. What a relief: it's been 4 weeks. I taught for 3 and last week was Chinese New Year traffic so we didn't go.

On this route, we stop for a photo under an enormous tree.

Some long seed pods catch our attention. They'd be amazing on a table, filled with wax or votives. But I'm not in the mood to schlep them so they stay on the forest floor.

The dogs are thrilled to be out walking. When they're out of sight, I whistle and they come running back.

We find a cave beside the trail but only 2 climb up the bank to it. It's small and empty.

About halfway into the hike, it starts to rain. Soon our shoes are full of water and the dogs are soaked.

Everyone has brought a raincoat. It was sunny when we left the city this morning but we know how unpredictable the mountain weather is.

After, some of us eat lunch at Mandarin in Lembang. Delicious food, reliable service, free hot tea. What's not to love?

For the first time, I see this Aceh heroine (freedom fighter, says PakG) on a bill. Rp1000 is worth about 6c.

The helper has been in the garden, gathering flowers to refresh a fading arrangement. Good job!

I warm up with a shower while PakG brushes the seeds out of the dogs' coats and ears. 

"Look for leeches," I say after finding one - fat and full - on my leg. Only one, though. Sometimes there are up to 10 after we trample through wet grass. We pull them off and splash the bloody holes with a traditional oil formula: minyak gosok.

W's buying American and European chocolate (TJ and Aldi) so I feel obligated to make a dent in the DairyMilk Kettle & salt bar at home. I sit and write, and brush ants off my face and chair. They come in all sizes and enter the house from the garden when it rains.

Lenten blogs posted here: https://simplelife-rosemarie.blogspot.com/ 

Read more:

*My Spirit abides among you; do not fear. Hagai 2:5

*Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

*For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as servants for Jesus’ sake. 2 Corinthians 4:5

Moravian Prayer: Spirit of God, your holy presence makes us confident in all things. We are assured that we do not need to fear because you have overcome the world. Grant us the strength to always trust in your abiding presence. Amen.