Nuts to that

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

A day of buzzing about? That would be today. The morning is spent with mixed success, hunting down kitchen hardware, hot water heaters, and a shelf to fit around existing fixtures. A building supply store is the men's equivalent of a women's fabric store in the USA. Long slow lines, many pieces to the transaction, and lots of chatting. W patiently stands in line for 15 minutes. He has few items. but there are 4 people ahead of him.

 I edit W's academic writing along the way.

We try a new-to-us Vietnamese place on the way home. We even have leftovers ($15).

The rain starts on the way home. Afternoon meetings are cancelled due to weather, with water coursing down the hilly streets. Since shopping tires us out, staying home is not a bad thing. 

I'm not hungry at supper but I cut up an avocado, stirring it and orange marmalade into a homemade trail mix. It's weird and surprisingly tasty.

Thursday

A hike makes Thursdays the best kind of rest day (= hard physical work but easy on the brain.) When PakG walks to the car, the dogs come running. They're so eager to leap into the car that one of them bangs their head on the open hatch. "Thunk!"

It's mostly forest trails today. Parts of the path are slick from the ongoing afternoon downpours. Today the rain holds off until we're almost home.

Lunch is at a place favored by our hiking group since it's close to the mountains. Stomachs have been growling on the morning hike. Sidang Reret has reliably good food for a reasonable price. W and I have two meals left over.

It's a good group today, a mix of new and regular hikers, 5 big dogs, and 2 smaller poodles. The dogs snooze while we eat and visit. We pull over to buy mangos from the back of a pickup truck on the way home.

I take a quick nap after a shower. The helpers bake 8 more loaves, using up the bananas sent by Veronica. We'll share some with the hall on Sunday and pass others around. 

I nap after a shower. I snap the remaining curtain rings onto the fabric for the main room. W orders more - delivery is usually within a day or two. I'm not hungry for supper so just warm up lunch leftover in the air fryer. Meanwhile Lew and W head out to supper. It's wet misery out there. 

Friday

We have scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast with Lew before he heads home for the weekend. After calls and business, it's time for some math. The 6 flat sheets are 7"/17cm too short for the window wall. W agrees to raise the curtain rod 12"/30cm since tacking a little piece of fabric at the top or bottom would look ridiculous.

Yay for hotel bulk buys on the sheets. Ross (USA) had 2 tablecloths on clearance. Wouldn't they fit if cut into thirds lengthwise? It's directional fabric, so which goes left and will goes right? I draw arrows, think about options, and choose.

"Sketch sketch think think." If I do a good job it will look simple and logical. Hmmm, allowing for hems, each finished tablecloth piece should be 19"/48cm long to land 1"/2.5cm off the floor. I hem the tablecloth centers to match the other cuts and sew them to the sheets. Finally, the sides of the sheets are hemmed to match the bottom width.

Calculations were quicker when I was in my 30s and 40s! It takes me 20-30 minutes to sew each panel after double-checking the sketches. I clip curtain rings to 4 sheets before running out; more are on the way. I make sure the rings face the same direction, pleat the tops, and W hangs the first 4 panels. It looks neutral with the leaf pattern.

I wonder aloud how anyone can afford 9' or 10' custom curtains to cross the long span. PakG explains that most homeowners string cafe curtains on the lower set of windows. That saves money and offers privacy from people are walking by. Never thought of that - but how do they block the tropical sun that fades everything?

Saturday

W goes out to a breakfast meeting while I work at home. A young couple drops by for an hour. They have wedding bells in their future. W and I work at the project and then get pasta from Nanny's. Then the rain starts. 

With a downpour, the project yard floods. There's improper drainage on the hill. Hmmm. Will have to find a solution for that ... here it's not as simple as calling the city and expecting them to take care of it.

The dogs are happy to come along and get out of the rain as we work.

Physical work takes the mind off other things - or frees the mind to think. It depends on how much mental effort is required. Several friends are in hospital, our daughter is traveling, and a few other things weigh on our minds. We pray over it all.

Read more:

* Thus said the Lord, “Just as I have brought all this great disaster upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good fortune that I now promise them.” Jeremiah 32:42

*His dominion shall be from sea to sea and to the ends of the earth. Zechariah 9:10

* Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan!” Matthew 4:8-10

* Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our consolation. 2 Corinthians 1:7

Moravian Prayer: Resplendent Nurturer, you entrust the caretaking of your magnificent creation to us. Yet we see how all too easy it is to conquer and exploit this gift. Help us turn away from the allure of greed and the promise of material reward and orient us towards the joy of living in harmony with your bountiful earth. 

Sometimes the disasters of the world are too much for our hearts to bear, O God. When hardship befalls us, you are there. When our communities are hurting, you are there. When we long to tear our eyes from the injustices of the world, you are there. Bring us steadfast companionship and sweet consolation as a balm to our broken hearts. This we most urgently pray. Amen.