Nice people and "The Wild Robot"

Sunday, January 12, 2025 

It's a full morning: community prayer, worship, speaking, and a board meeting. The weather is bright from sunrise until after the Gathering. Then the sky starts to drip water.

We take our social media person for a business lunch.

It's nice to watch families eating and celebrating near us. This grandson helps his Oma after the meal.

And these little boys happily walk arm in arm, bumping hips on the way home from an impromptu soccer game.

An old Toyota catches my eye. FB friends identify it as a 1970 model, in excellent condition.

Titik sends home a fabulous creation, saying: "The snapdragons must be in season." She names a ridiculous price for the 20-or-so stems she's pulled into an arrangement.

W and I watch The Wild Robot movie in preparation for Wednesday. I'm not an animation fan but it's well done. I tried to read the book series in November and couldn't get into it. Hopefully the movie night crowd will enjoy it and have lots to discuss. W is working on the question.

Monday

Walk, calls, flowers. The sun glows off the trees.

Our hill is a mix of wealth and poverty. This little triangle is a playground for everyone, while a pop-up shop, nightclub, and a mansion live on its edges.

One neighbor's 4- or 5-yr-old child received a motorized car for Christmas. Her nanny trails her as the child putts around. The nanny reaches over with a spoon to push in breakfast each time the girl takes her foot off the "gas." Children may be spoon fed until almost school age, especially if the family has a designated helper for the youngsters.

I trim some plants going crazy in the garden. Long stems. Purple flowers. Yellow flowers. Why not put them in a quirky vase? There are enough 3' (1 meter) stems for 2 loose arrangements.

W sends out the invitation to Wednesday's movie night. Within 10 minutes there are 50 names on the list. He sorts them out later.

The day's errand is to pick up items I'll cook Wednesday. As the "I'll come!" pings sound on our devices, we stop at the first grocer for eggs, yogurt, fruit, and salad. We eat lunch at a recommended noodle hole-in-the-wall restaurant on the way to the wholesaler.

"It's very spicy!" warns the staff. But it's not. We limit one kind of hot sauce and it's fine. The dumplings with chili crisp are good, too.

It's fun to talk to Felicia, whose family owns the food wholesaler. Before long we have everything we need and are headed home in thick traffic.

Mid-afternoon, I edit a paper for W before he sends it off to an organization. It's helpful to have a second set of eyes on academic work, whether it's his or mine. Plus we learn something every time we read others' research and writing.

After supper, I write a dozen book reviews. I'm behind, not on compulsive reading but on posting reviews. After a while, I have to re-scan what a book is about. No worries; most of what I've read has been enjoyable and informative - either in style of writing or in the descriptions. When you live far from your homeland, books transport you to familiar and new settings.

Tuesday - Mak turns 7

Mom wakes me at 3 AM; she's just heard that my "second dad" is in hospital in Winnipeg. At 94, he's near the beginning of his glorious future. As followers of Jesus, this is our blessed hope.

We call young Mak who shows us the hallway decorated by siblings as a surprise upon waking in the morning. What a wonderful family.

We walk only one loop: my body is lagging after a short sleep. A few young people stroll by on the way to work - arm in arm is fine.

I am off kilter and late to the first meeting online. Puttering - seeing that the flowers are watered, bedding changed, and other chores done - helps regulate the day. PakG takes Titik's bouquet outside to hose down the oasis. The vase is so heavy that it's easiest for him to carry it outside and hydrate it with the hose. Plus, I get to enjoy it from my Porch perch.

Someone is loudly singing nearby. I rarely play music because the tracks in my head are constant and rhythmic. This interrupts so I put a techno playlist on full volume and work until the next meeting starts. 

I make spaghetti carbonara for supper and cook a few sauces so there's less work in the morning.

Wednesday - January Movie Night

Up at 4:30 AM, when W already has the water boiling for spaghetti. The commercial cooking pot and 5-gallon water jug are heavy so his help is a godsend. Spaghetti is the first thing on the cooking menu. Sauces and meats are done before 9 AM. It's getting more efficient every time.

For breakfast I heat up some noodles and grab homemade trail mix. I call Mom and my brother and confirm appointments, before getting out serving pieces and tablecloths. Then I write.

W and PakG shift furniture today instead of the usual Tuesday. I can't disengage until they're done. The guys always have placement questions though the basics are set. We changed the entire layout before Christmas to require half the moving and halve the clutter in my office during movie night. Why didn't we do this sooner?

As usual, the helpers come after 3PM to wash dishes and cut the fruit and salad. They make mayo eggs, cook rice, and bring down the heating trays. What a blessing they are.

Read more:

*God said, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1

*Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. Proverbs 10:12

*In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:10-11

Moravian Prayer: Loving Creator, when we turn away from love, remind us of our call as your people: to love one another; to care for our neighbor. Give us the courage to love boldly in the face of a world brimming with discontent. Help us love one another well. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.