Fresh beauty and bread

Sunday, January 19, 2025

The topic today is raising children to love God and be a blessing in the world. The flowers this morning are striking. Way to go #titikbadudu!

After the Gathering, we enjoy a team meeting and lunch at Maxis. My shoes fall apart - literally. As I'm walking up the hill to the restaurant, I feel something flopping around. The sole of the shoe is loose and drops off completely by the time I get to the table. Ugh. that's a regular occurrence with shoes here. The glue gives up and the shoe and sole are parted.

Shortly after we get home, a friend from W's Saturday study drops by with her family. She brings ginger drink and peanut sauce for vegetables, treats from mid-Java (Jogja) where they vacationed before Christmas. Yum.

I find a perfect 8"/20cm pot for grass heads clipped from the garden.

Monday

On the walk, we spot more bells along the road.

Lunch includes Dr. Farah's peanut sauce. Sundanese typically don't eat a green salad. Their version is to blanche and chop vegetables, then smother them in peanut or soy sauce. Pretty tasty.

"Get int-ah town!" We ride down to get all the broken shoes fixed. This round, we have four pairs. This repair shop has cool custom shoes as well.

We're close to "Fish Street" where saltwater, tropical (freshwater) and gold-fish hang in bags. So do turtles, plants, and wiggling worms = food for bigger fish.

We hop out of the car to admire beautiful marine setups, mostly full of Indonesian fish and fluorescing corals.

I admire the palaudariums, tanks filled half with water, half with land.

Big and small shops line two blocks of a busy city street. It's a hobbyist's paradise - and I love to see what the shops carry. 

I've kept fish since my first goldfish bowl when I was 8 years old. The weekly routine: hand in the bowl to catch the goldfish; hold on while the other hand dumped out the water and refilled it from the sink. Release the fish into the cold Winnipeg tap water, winter or summer. I fed it when I remembered. Yikes! that fish was hardy and lived long.

At the grocer, we buy eggs (limited to 20) and exclaim over the prices of cooking oil, a food staple that has doubled in cost in recent years. As in most other countries, wages haven't kept up with price increases for utilities, rent, or food. That results in more poverty and hardship.

At night, W hangs a 30"/70cm rattan tube in the dining room. Someone gave the cylinder to us a while back; a $2 light fixture makes the dark corner glow.

Tuesday

The fish we bought yesterday are still alive. Betas control mosquito larvae and last a long time. They're 70c each so W bargains for a free one after I choose a handful. We put one in each flowerpot-pond and send one home for PakG's kids.

Most fish are caught or grown locally and cost 50c to $5. With a tropical climate and an ocean nearby, there's no need for heaters and other expensive equipment.

A recent addition to the pet trade is Glo-fish, which are genetically modified to shimmer in various neons. (Their offspring retain their parents' colors.) Apparently it's not health-altering, though they would easily be spotted by predators in the wild. At 15c each, (65c for a bag of 5), they're a colorful experiment.

I refill the 5 gallon vase that occasionally acts as my desktop aquarium. Plants from other fishtanks are popped in. I swap out 20oz of water most days: there's no filter or heater.

Writing takes up most of the afternoon, including fulfilling requests from our partners.

Today's "New Normal" post features the swarms of thousands of caterpillars who strip the avocado trees bare after the fruit is ripe. Ugh. Their hairy tips are poisonous and sting when touched.

Each week, we send friends the "New Normal" weekly photo and paragraph. If you'd like to know what's normal in Indonesia but unusual where you live, PM me or send a comment with your email address. (I'll add you but you may unsubscribe any time. Your info isn't used for anything else.)

In late afternoon, the rain returns with a loud hiss. The dogs head out of the downpour to their favorite shelters.

IbuS added 2 tablespoons of an "Everything but the bagel" mix to the bread today. What a simple and delicious supper.

Read more:

*So, acknowledge today and take to heart that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. Deuteronomy 4:39

*Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. Isaiah 60:1

*Our God is merciful and tender. He will cause the bright dawn of salvation to rise on us and to shine from heaven on all those who live in the dark shadow of death, to guide our steps into the path of peace. Luke 1:78-79

*Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord. 1 Corinthians 12:4–5

*Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:5,7

Moravian Prayer: God in heaven, sometimes we forget the vastness of your might and your love. You are always present for us and ready to share our burdens. Let your gentleness be a model for our lives.

Guiding Star, you are the one Lord, forevermore. Your light has been made known to the world so that all may follow you. In this season of Epiphany, give us peace and rest so that we may share your love with the world. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.