Sunday, June 22, 2025
When I arrive home at 4:30 AM, the dogs give us a loud and happy greeting. It takes an hour-and-a-half to fall sleep. The sun's up but we have blackout-ish curtains so I sleep 4 hours until after 10 AM. W leads the Gathering without me and I don't hear him leave.
The full-blown cold is a misery so W also goes to our friend Tota's birthday lunch without me. No one needs this crud! and it's kinder to share wishes than illness. W brings home good food from the birthday buffet. I like this rice combo, even though it has fish inside.
Paulina sends cookies and tea over, too. Her pandan (green leaf) checkerboard cookies are very cute!
I sit on the Porch, wiping my nose, drinking tall mugs of tea, and reflecting on last week's class in Bhutan.
We walk over to the house renovation in the afternoon, talking about what's needed next. Work is progressing at a quick pace. The checklist is going ahead, with items added and removed each week. We spot a 6" frog (or toad?) with red and brown bumps, making his way across a pool and take a video for our grandkids.
While I was away, PakG finished repairing the ancient pot-pond. It was a cast-off from next door - they were going to haul it away when we brought it to our yard, via 6 men straining and puffing. It was so heavy that it broke our trolley.
Clau has sent over a bookshelf, which is quickly styled with items on hand. It creates an entry space in the big room by blocking the sofa area.
We go out for groceries - I'm running low on nuts and seeds. We try a new Vietnamese lunch. The hot bowl of pho (soup) hits the spot - so soothing. Can you spot the tangle of electrical and phone cables ... there's always a mashup of wires overhead.
I mix together hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflowers, blueberries, and black currents, thinking it will be my snack for the rest of the week. Except that I put the little ziplock bag beside the breadmaker without instructions to use 1/2 cup of it. When I come back, the bag is empty. The mixture has been baked into the most delicious bread. Oh well - healthy and delicious bread for sure. It has just the right amount of flavor and crunch.
Before we know it, it's early evening. Time to feed the dogs and pull back our energy.
Tuesday
I wake in time to take my cold overnight rosemary tea (thanks, Paulina! great flavor) to the Porch for an online meeting. W and I walk to an in-person meeting with the contractor. We have one more meeting after lunch before it's time to rest. I have no energy for grading or other work yet.
We get sad news: our friend's father has died. W joins other friends at the wake while I cough myself to sleep at home.
Wednesday
Feels like I'm getting back in circulation, thank God. I can't yet breathe deeply as we walk to our "weekly date" breakfast at #NaraPark up the street, but it's nice not to be sneezing. We're eating outdoors so hopefully others are safe. Our server has just recovered from the flu as well. These young people are precious to us - they take amazing care of us at each meal.
How W and I have missed this time together - it's been over a month. Anton pokes his nose through the gate to confirm that we've actually left without him. Sorry, puppy.
The huge tree near our table is "raining" tiny flowers.
God cares about the smallest things, and what detail these little florets demonstrate. I'm reminded that we and our concerns - are significant to God. "He knows your name," my mom often says. W puts down a key to show how tiny it is and takes a picture.
Back home, it's time to go review budgets, analyze options, and make a strong cup of tea so I can grade papers with some clarity. Tea on the Porch is cancelled by a weary friend and the unexpected time doesn't go to waste. I send off the last graded paper - until the final round for this class drops in a month.
We empty the 2.5 meter (7 1/2') lesung rice trough and haul it into the sunshine to dry. We found this cultural treasure beside the road and bought it off the owner a few years ago. Water for the plants has been spilled outside/beside the tarp that lines the trough. The lesung will rot if water sits in it, so no more plants!
Read more:
*The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light. Exodus 13:21
*For dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations. Psalm 22:28
*The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made. Psalm 145:9
*Jesus said, “You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life, and it is they that testify on my behalf.” John 5:39
*The creation itself will be set free from its enslavement to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Romans 8:21
*John, (writing) to the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
"Look, he is coming with the clouds", and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Moravian Prayer: Holy God, may your presence go before us like a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night, leading us along the way. Lord, we pray that your compassion and goodness continue to be evident in all that you have made. May we be set free from the sins of this world and experience the freedom of your glory.
May we search the scriptures with hearts open to the testimony of your son, Jesus Christ, who offers us eternal life. Amen.
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