Sitting in the sunshine, pondering the choices we make ...

Sunday, November 1, 2026
When we were kids, November rolled around as though it was normal. Now it seems like the months are rushing past. Advent starts on the last Sunday of November? That gives me pause. Perhaps having every month's weather like Seattle's July, August, and September (warm, summery) messes with my internal calendar. I wouldn't trade Indonesia's eternal summer for even one cold and blustery day in Canada or Australia.

Titik has woken her creativity on another arrangement. There is a lovely mix of textures and colors in every quarter. So beautiful, isn't it? The upper white flowers are "Queen of the Night," releasing strong perfume as night falls. MMMMMMmmmm. I love floral fragrances.

We take guests from Denmark and Uzbekistan to lunch after the Gathering. They like the food at #AyamBalarasa as much as we do. We send cookies home for their little girls, two darlings who are dressed alike.

No sooner are we safely at home than the sky opens up and the rain pours down. The house is dark and cozy - perfect for bathing. It takes a half-hour to heat bath water but it's worth the wait. Within an hour, the sun is back and the dogs - who love racing around in the rain - start to dry out.

Did you know that we rarely have houseplants in the tropics? The same plants we carefully babied through the winter in Seattle grow abundantly outside. We don't dare bring in potted plants because ants and other bugs nest in them. Outside my window, I see spiky snake plants, feathery dill, reblooming orchids, Cardinals guard shrubs, coleus, dracaena, peace lilies, and more. It fills me with wonder.

Monday

W and I spot a little bird on our walk. It is likely a cat casualty. Did you know that the most lethal killers of wildlife are domestic cats? It's as true in the USA as here. A few of our dogs happily catch what they can, too.

We walk past groups of ladies getting their morning exercise.

Selfies are a big thing. These walkers spot a concave mirror and post for their pictures with it.

Daylight saving time throws me off for the first meeting. I'll remember next week! Why even mess with the clocks? Check out the origin of daylight saving time. There is no shift of the clock in most of Asia. In Bandung, sunrise and sunset vary only by 15-30 minutes year-round.

We pick up a used rebounder. My dad used one daily for years and said it was helpful. The seller mentions that he owns R.O.T.I. Bakery, which bakes Western-style sourdough. We have to try it! (It's delicious.) The staff is friendly and helpful.

Many of the new cars in Indonesia are electric, like this teeny wonder of a 2-seater Chinese Wuling. The government subsidizes sales of electric vehicles. The base price is $8500 US!

We stop by IKEA and spot big Christmas ornaments in the As-Is section @30%. There are enough balls for the side porch. Two young influencer-wannabes take photos in the dining area. They adjust their headwear, purse their lips, fix their mascara, and tilt their heads from side to side for the best shot. 

A few tables away, an elementary school classroom is having lunch. We drop by to let them practise their English, which brings on fits of giggles and blushes. They're very good; kudos to their teachers.

Tuesday
PakG moves boxes of Christmas cookies from our freezer to the GG fridge. The helpers bake more each week. We use 3-5000 cookies during the festive season, depending on the year and number of events. The smell is heavenly. My counselor and I struggle with bad wi-fi on both ends, but she gives great advice every month. She invites me to reflect on 2026 with 5 "C"s: conflicts, crises, criticisms, changes, and concerns, evaluating adjustments and what we've left behind. I suspect it will be a long list.

W climbs the ladder to hang the new IKEA decor. First, we need to space the balls. I want them to look even-ish as you walk down the driveway. 

W measures the total length at 300". The ceiling has 4 sections of unequal mouldings so we ignore them. We hang 2 balls in each section with 7 equidistant measurements. The easiest estimate in dividing 300 by 7? Subtract 10" from each side for 280". Space each hook 40" apart. Done and it looks good. W is amazing - and careful on ladders.

We send our insignificant ballots to vote online as the USA holds midterm elections. We ask our kids to advise our choices. Timo asks, "Do you want to increase your property taxes 6% per year for the next 5 years? That would almost double the rate." (No, thank you.) 

One year, I talked the property assessor out of a big tax increase. A tree had fallen on the back porch "so it's not worth as much as you think."

"What do you expect? You live in the forest!" he responded. "Of course trees are going to fall." But he was nice and we had a pleasant conversation. He reduced his recommendation to the county by $1,000/year.

One of Martin's irises is in bloom now that the dogs aren't trampling the leaves. The flowers have begun to thrive without the constant traffic flattening them.

I make soup for lunch, along with the exceptional sourdough bread from the R.O.T.I. bakery. "Try toasting day-old bread with butter or olive oil," they suggest.

I ask the yardman to finish the flowerbed fence. He's not happy to get directions from a woman but it's easier for W to leave the conversation to me. Within a few minutes, I hear sawing as the remaining long bamboo pieces are cut into posts. They affix the uprights in cement along the edges of the gardens.

Wednesday

The flowers are thriving. The guys continue working on the fence. They hope to finish assembly today. Then someone has to stain it. I ask W why they don't dip-stain the pieces when they cut them, before they assemble the fence portions. The slats could dry overnight. He shrugs. 🎶They did it their way🎶, = a few extra days of work. 

PakG takes a dead lovebird from the bottom of its cage. "It was already old," he says. We got it almost a decade ago. RIP birdie.

I send PakG and cash to the bird store in an alley up the hill. He and his friend bargain for 2 new birds. Apparently the chicks come from a champion singer. They're loud, anyway. PakG builds a third bamboo tunnel and fastens it inside the cage so each bird has its own refuge. I toss mango skins with fruit on them into each cage. We try to add veggies and fruit and set the cages into sunshine a few times a week to keep the fliers healthy.

Lovebirds and budgies dislike being alone. They naturally live in flocks. Still, the old bird isn't excited to have two newbies invade his cage. It's big enough at 32" x 32 " x 12" (90 cm x 90 cm x 30 cm). When we decided to have birds on the Porch at the old house, we got big enough cages for them to fly from perch to perch. After many years of being put up and taken down weekly for cleaning, some of the wires are bent. Others are failing. But they still keep our birds in and wild birds out.

Over the years, we acquired a canary, 2 (now 3) lovebirds, and 4 budgies. The cheery singers attract other birds to the yard, scattering seeds outside the cages. The wild things also like the variety of shrubs planted in the yard.

I bake a focaccia bread for lunch while W repairs the floors. A tile on the side porch broke off when the whiteboard used for Saturday lessons was left outside. The wind tipped the big "sail" over and smashed the edge of the porch.

During renovations, we changed what couldn't be left "as is" or repaired. We kept the floor tiles inside and outside, except where they had been broken into many pieces. The contractors hammered out shattered fragments and replaced them with a cement skim. They patched places where the tile was mostly intact. It looks terrible and works great.

Over 118 earthquakes were recorded in our region this year. Most are mild, but the frequent shaking under the heavy (remodeled) clay tile roof is shifting the foundation bit by bit. A long crack is opening along the length of the floor in my office. Pieces of tiles lift out when we clean. W plasters the fissure shut. We sprinkle on bits of darker powder from the porch repairs to make the indoor repairs less obvious. If they keep the Project house, they can redo the floors at that point.

The Project in one sentence? It's an old place that requires regular upkeep and is perfectly suited for consistent hospitality. We appreciate being allowed to share the spaces as a blessing for others. It helps that W is a handyman. Otherwise, we might regularly be without water or lights or ... ? Whew.

Read (a lot) more:
* Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. Psalm 37:7-9

* O send out your light and your truth; let them lead me. Psalm 43:3

* Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord, to him who rides across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens, who thunders with mighty voice. Proclaim the power of God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose power is in the heavens. You, God, are awesome in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God! Psalm 69:32-35

* Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations belong to you! Psalm 82:8

* For now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. Micah 5:4

* You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8

* Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every people anyone who fears him and practices righteousness is acceptable to him.” Acts 10:34-35

* Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb! Revelation 7:10

Moravian Prayer: Great and gracious One, help us live lives that honor the deeds, sacrifices, and love for you as your witnesses in the world. Let us follow your example to show no partiality. Keep us bound together with cords that cannot be broken. Bind us together with all our brothers and sisters in Christ in the great fellowship of your love. In your name, we pray. Amen.