Monday, February 23, 2026
Suddenly, the research that was gone - and none of us could retrieve - pops up. Now that is strange and wonderful! 36 pages ... where were they? Who knows. Who cares. Thank you, God! By the end of the day the document has swelled to 60 pages. It's one day at a time, just like the bloom on the daylilies in the yard.
I open the drapes after walking and feeding the dogs and making breakfast. The swish-swish of rattan brooms in the yard accompanies the chirping of birds as I click between websites. The printer doesn't work - but I'll figure something out. Sorting information is next. Then comes writing. And finally, the hard part: editing.
I eat whatever I want - and today that's a sweet potato "pizza-ish" recipe. A mashed sweet potato gets topped with broccoli, bacon, cheese, and 2 eggs, then baked. It's delicious but I can only eat half.
PakG notes that one of the exterior light switches is not working.
And the cheap plastic faucet on the outdoor shower has broken. Water is pouring out and the well pump is going and going. Burnout ahead, except ...
He ties off the hose to stop the flow. I send a note to the contractor who will have to install better quality as water pressure from the well can vary during the day. The stone shower is a relic from when the house was built. We kept as much of the original building as we could. The faucets and fixtures were stolen when the Project was empty so had to be replaced in the renovation.
We find a Hemnes daybed, the final bed we wanted for the upstairs. "I can send it over," says the owner. "Probably at 6PM." Ok, that works.
Except that they leave her place with the bed at 5:30 and take 3 hours to get here. They probably broke their fast and hung around with friends for an hour or two. I'm up at 4AM, so 8:30 practically feels like midnight. The bed is lifted off the truck - isn't it cool how the sides of the pickup fold down?
It's too wide for a side door so they come in the entry.
It's also too wide for the bedroom door so they park it in the hall. When W's done with his current project, he'll the sides off and move it inside.
It's cold and gloomy By 8:00 it's only 21C/69F and we're dressed in coats or heavy sweaters. I walk with Juno, wearing jeans and a long-sleeved blouse. Brrr. Friends send photos of the snow in New England. How pretty! ... but no thanks.
I count the screws and knobs that have to be replaced on the bed and W orders them.
By 10AM my eyes are blurring from focusing on the screen. I make ramen with lettuce for lunch. Did you know that lettuce is a good vegetable for soups? Neither did we until we saw it here; it wilts just like spinach and other leafy greens.
The team comes over at 2:00. The kettle blows out its circuit. There's also no hot water from the dispenser, which is on the same line. W helps me figure it out: the extension cord needs resetting. This tangle of cords behind the living room bench is normal, in a country where electrical outlets are few. Ugly but normal. You "hardly" see it after a while.
Wednesday - work day
The streets are still mostly empty in the morning.
Once a tree starts to rot, the termites go at it. This formerly massive tree (9'/3m tall at the break) has one thin branch and a few leaves left. (Do you see what I see? A creature with tilted head, hands to the sides, and big feet.)
I print out pages of research and grab a pen to number the sections. Why not use something enjoyable to write? I have some dried-out fountain pens so I soak them. When they're clean and working, I add soap to clean the sink.
Except we can't drain it. The push-and-pop-open plug fails. So we text the contractor to find out what to do. IbuS and PakG get it open with his instructions. When they close it to check, it won't reopen. So they open it and leave it.
PakG notices a leak. We send that pic as well. Is that where the water on the floor is coming from? We turn off the water behind the sink.
What a good group at the Women's study this afternoon. There are many snacks at Tetty's house; nearly every participant contributes something. (It's what women do.)
Thursday
I'm up early but we don't walk the dogs. Today we want to hike along the river. Let's see if the rain holds off. Breakfast is IbuS's homebaked bread with the Fix&Fogg nut butter that Lisa brought from New Zealand. The porch is so cold that I go inside for a thick sweater.
Read more:
* Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart. Psalm 32:11
* The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD, and the neediest people shall exult in the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 29:19
* For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9
Moravian Prayer: Renewing Savior, let us not look away from the poor and the needy in our neighborhoods, but instead, let us find positive, practical ways to engage with those in need. May our service to them help restore their bodies, hearts, minds, and souls through lovingkindness. Amen.
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