Here is what I enjoyed today, a sunny day about 75 degrees F. People were out with their families, their bikes and skateboards, and their dogs–all enjoying the summer weather and the sunset.

Parapenting in the mist over the Pacific Ocean

Looking across the park down onto the Pacific as the sun sets

Skateboard Park displaying lots of talent

Ready to roll!

North America's favorite dog--Yellow Lab and the Peruvian Inca dog--Hairless!

Looking across the ravine to the drumming circle behnd the trees--great beat!

The cloud hovered over the Pacific as the sun set.

Replaced glass stove cover

Since Ian is very handy at fixing things, we usually try to repair things ourselves. When the toilet seat’s hinge broke this week, we knew we had to get it fixed. More house guests are on the way! We have learned, though, that it helps to turn problem solving into adventures by combining  the quest with explorations and serendipity. They usually involve finding an interesting cafe or lunch spot along the way.

Yesterday we headed out to the equivalent of Home Depot: Sodimac, a large box hardware store that mimics Home Depot in many ways–size, helpful employees and lots of choice. We climbed off the #17 bus and walked alongside the busy highway to Sodimac. Past the chemical smells and bustling aisles, we found the toilet seat aisle. A new seat cost just over $10, not a bad choice, but in the next aisle we found several styles of white plastic toilet lid screws. Ian had brought the broken part to match up. Lo and behold, the same make was right there in front of us; so for around three dollars we had the necessary part. We put back the replacement seat and went with the plastic screw, hoping it would fit.

Fixed toilet lid-yeah Ian!

While there we picked up a few other needs: a water jug to keep filtered water in the fridge, one of those long handled butane lighters, an under-the- rug mat to keep a scatter rug from scattering, plastic picture hooks to stick onto the plaster wall, and stones to put in the potted plants to keep Cleo from digging.  Work done, we headed back to the bus and onto our reward for all of our hard work and saved cash–hamburgers at Tanta, a favorite Peruvian restaurant on the #17 bus route.

Ian and I miss grilling good hamburgers here in Lima, but we have found three Peruvian restaurants that make good ones. Since grocery store ground beef is finely ground and too lean, my hamburgers on the grill fall apart and don’t cook well. We have given up and just go out for the good burger when we have a beef craving.  I love the side salads they put onto the plate, and if asked, they will double up on salad and omit the fries. I also like to think these burgers have less calories than the 1,700 calorie TGI Friday’s and Chili’s hamburgers. Both of those chains exist within a ten minute walk from the apartment. Along with the Starbucks and Pinkberry’s, that makes our Ovalo (roundabout) a little North American ghetto!

Working off  our hamburger fix, we walked back toward the apartment through the lovely olive tree park filled with meandering sidewalks, a bird sanctuary, and green scummy ponds (its only drawback). After carrying the heavy bag filled with garden stones, we decided to take a break at Pinkberry where the frozen yoghurt is tart and refreshing on a hot summer’s afternoon. Our daughter had introduced us to Pinkberry in LA, and now we enjoy an occasional treat here in Lima.

Finally home, we worked on our repairs. The toilet screw solved the lid problem perfectly–yeah Ian!  The mat fit under the sliding rug and kept us from slipping on it.

Cleo looking at her pile of dirt and stones

The stones looked great in the potted plants, but Cleo later dug into them and scattered them all over the tiles. We need rocks! The picture is hanging on the plaster wall and water is chilling in the fridge. Later we will start the grill and light the candles with the butane gizmo. Thank you repairman, Ian and Sodimac for solving our household problems!

Christmas towels, tea cozy and mug are tucked away for another year.

Putting away the Christmas decorations is like saying goodbye to family after a lovely visit. Though sad, I realize that it is time to move on. I had been upbeat and energized as I looked forward to our visiting together, but now I tuck away the memories and decorations into tissues to rest for another year. I sweep away the pine needles, caress and wrap up Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, and stash away the Christmas mugs. I clean the house to prepare for the new.

Christmas reflections

Decorating in January is tricky; it is not the time for flowers and pastels, but dried arrangements prove too drab. Potted plants and sprouting bulbs do the trick for me. That’s easy here in the southern hemisphere where it’s mid-summer and everything is growing!

Norfolk pine with ornaments

Fresh starts and growth. We all make new year’s resolutions of some sort. Perhaps they are implicit or nestled into the back corners of our minds, but they exist. Most of us want to improve in some way: lose weight, learn a new skill, be more patient, tidy or confident. We want to accomplish something. For me, it is setting up a Godly Play training session here in Lima in a year’s time. Talking with a young woman the other day, I also realized how important girlfriends are to my life. I want to cultivate those friendships a bit more. Beauty and creativity are important to me, too, and I want to foster those. I am thinking of dipping into Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way again.  Exercise keeps me energized and more upbeat, so I plan to visit the gym 2-3 times a week and get stronger. I want to write more, too, because that centers me and fulfills a deep need. And I’d like to finish the Old Testament before Easter. Those are today’s thoughts….

Hand carved wooden nativity figures along with clay John the Baptist and random angel.

Arpillera nativity scene

Ian and I loved being with our kids over the holidays. It is always a joy to revisit our family traditions even in new locations: making hard spice candy with Katherine in Los Angeles and opening packages on Christmas morning in Houston with Joe. We loved being with the future inlaws, Katherine’s husband Sam and Joe’s fiance Virginia. We celebrated and played together.  And it was good, very good. Welcome new year!

Joe and Virginia in Houston

Polly and Ian with Sam and Katherine in LA

Our Poster for the Bazaar 2011

I said yes to chairing the Christmas Bazaar this year. I needed a task I could tackle and finish while working here in Peru as a missionary. Gathering up all my people skills, and looking forward to learning how to make a Christmas pudding,  I sallied forth into the land of “It’s always been done this way.” You have probably visited this country in your own travels around the world of work, church and social clubs. Lucky for me, I had a capable, hardworking group of women who have been doing the bazaar for years, some for over 10 years. None of these women was into it for an ego boost, and no one had a hidden agenda. I was fortunate and thankful and delighted when they started meetings with prayer. I found it interesting that this same group of women is the intercessory prayer group during the church service on Sunday morning.

Even so, they did have a few diehard “must-dos.”  The tombola, the raffle, the Christmas puddings and mincemeat, the cake table and the garden food stalls are all pillars of the annual event. It has taken me two years to discover what a tombola is.

Tombola

Looking it up on the internet, I saw that it is based on the Italian word tombola, which means somersault, or tumble, because the tickets are tumbled in a basket,  and a winning number drawn out. The debate still rages on whether to put the accent on the first or second syllable. To advertise this booth and to inspire people to bring in prizes, we had one of the talented young people perform flips and somersaults down the center aisle of the church.

Raffle Prize

The raffle is a big deal and makes several thousand dollars. Each ticket is S./5 or $2,  and everyone is supposed to sell, sell, sell! The church secretaries send out letters to area businesses and shops on headed stationary, signed by the Dean, to solicit significant prizes. Recently the big prize has been an American Airlines ticket to the U.S. Add to that lunches at fancy restaurants, nights in hotels, gift baskets and bottles of Scotch. I had my doubts this year about the fancy but gently used treadmill. Will the winner ever pick it up?  I am tempted to lay a bet on it not happening! Having seen so many rowing machines and treadmills at garage sales, I know they sound great, but they take up too much space for a Lima apartment.

The Christmas puddings and mincemeat are part of the Olde England and sell well. They also require lots of work.

Stirring up a giant batch of Christmas puddings!

Cake Table with packets of goodies!

Since the Good Shepherd Cathedral began as an ex-pat church, the vestiges of English patriarchy remain. The recipes date back to 1976 in the archive notebook, handwritten and mottled with spills. The flavor is fruity, with just the right amount of sugar and spice, enhanced by Pisco, dark beer and rum. On Christmas Day, we enjoyed last year’s pudding doused with brandy and flamed at the table. The mince  is sold in jars and also fills the pies which grace the cathedral gatherings that surround Christmas and New Years.  Along with the pies and puddings,  marmalades and chutneys round out the English homemade goodies.

Judith's Three Fruit Marmelade

The garden cafe and the barbeque  provide venues for gathering and conversation. Gently charred chorizos and the Peruvian layered Causa are mainstays for lunch in the cathedral garden. Little tables are surrounded by tippy chairs where people sit to talk and eat.

Barbeque with Chorizos

It reminds me of the Church Fetes we had in London in the vicar’s garden. The garden gate was opened and people spilled into the garden ready to buy  something knit or crocheted, along with a white elephant from Ruby’s attic before sitting down with friends over a mediocre cup of milky instant coffee and a flakey currant scone.

The idea of selling gently worn designer clothing came to me one night before the bazaar. In Peru, most used clothing gets passed down to the maid, but I envision future consignment and vintage shops in the shopping districts.  Perhaps the cathedral could host a classy charity shop to raise funds for nearby mission churches. With this in mind, I began with Esther’s Closet, a booth at the Christmas Bazaar. It was a hit and great fun to host! Young and old enjoyed trying on the pretty clothes brought in by a variety of women. We set up a classy dressing room with a full length mirror and encouraged women to try things on. We loved giving advice!

Pre-teens enjoying Esther's Closet

One of my favorite booths was new this year: plants! With her green thumb and eye for beauty, my friend Judith created a spot of color and aroma that greeted visitors as they came into the bazaar.

Judith and Maria with plants and a recipe booklet

When the guests had left and we had relaxed over a cold beer, Ian and I rejoiced with the others who had worked so hard. The take? Not bad: around $6,000 after expenses. I am reminded of our yearly garage sales in the U.S. where so many hours of labor go into an event such as this. That is why the work has to be enjoyable and rewarded with smiles and thank yous galore! Next year? We’ll see….

Ian, Polly and Carmen

This Sunday we will present the Church Year to the whole congregation.

Talking about the Church Year during feast time.

After describing the high points and the seasons of the church year, we will break into song with “Turn, Turn, Turn.”  Who knew that King Solomon’s words would be a #1 hit for the Byrds in the 1970′s? We will sing King Solomon’s  words from Ecclesiastes 3 with piano and guitar accompaniment. “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born…..”

Since this group of children is a mixture of North Americans, Peruvians who speak English,  and some Brits, the lessons are in English. As my Spanish improves, I will work with the Spanish congregation. At this point they don’t have a Sunday School because there are no children attending. I don’t think this is a chicken and egg story; rather,  if there is a class, the children will appear.

Beginning the Ark and the Temple Lesson

Last year’s cathedral class was filled with active boys under the age of 10. This year, the class is made up of three pairs of sisters, two other girls and a mixture of boys who come and go. The attendance has been around 10 – 12 children.  I have had a wonderful helper, Kym, who leaves for Arequipa this next week. She is taking materials and Godly Play books down with her. We are looking forward to more Godly Play in Peru! Next month we will create another class for the older girls who are moving into adolescence. We need ideas for them!

The desert is a dangerous place. You don't go there unless you have to....

Here are some pictures of our activities. You can see the special Godly Play materials.

Soon after these photos were taken,  I found attractive borders and posters to use in the classroom.  When I visit the U.S. this month I am picking up Old Testament maps and charts to put up on the walls. Hurray for internet shopping!

The Temple covered up with the Ark inside.

We have so many interesting remarks and questions that come up as we do our Godly Play wondering. During the Tabernacle Lesson a young girl from the U.S. pointed out that the word laver was similar to the Spanish verb lavar, which means to wash.  Last week’s precious answer to the question, “I wonder how you can help your friends find the way to Bethlehem?” was, “Well, you could use a GPS.” I love the concrete stage of development! Let’s see what they come up with by the fourth week of Advent as we explore along the road to Bethlehem.

My Desert Bag made by Mary, a missionary visiting from England.

I had a wonderful gift created for me by Mary, an English missionary working with us this year. She suggested using the blue side up and then drawing through the sand to show the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Brilliant! Here is the website to see the pattern Mary used: http://www.godlyplay.fi/des_bag.html

I look forward to moving into the Parables in January. The materials are prepared, and I am interested in seeing where these lessons will lead the children in their relationship to Jesus. We will then move into the life of Jesus as we prepare for Easter during the six weeks of purple Lent.

But lately I have felt the “Writing Bubble” beginning to form inside me. Today I headed out to the gym for some exercise to get the blood flowing, returned to the apartment and made a cup of good coffee and have now sat down. What will come? My “shoulds and oughts” are dictating that I write about the Cathedral Bazaar I just chaired and my work with the kids and Godly Play. I have great photos and memories of each. Maybe later. Photos can be an easy way out of finding just the right words, not the thousands the cliche mentions.

Let’s look at writing and creativity. Here’s what Archie Hart says and I have to agree:

Creativity is hampered by high stress situations and high levels of adrenaline arousal.

Dr. Archibald D. Hart in Adrenaline and Stress

We are at our most creative when we are in a state of low arousal.

“1. At low arousal, we are not very effective in action tasks but very good at thinking creatively.

2. As arousal increases (medium arousal), we become more effective in action but less effective in creative thinking.

3. As arousal becomes very high, our efficiency in both action and thinking drops off again. This is probably the stage of “panic” when all systems shut down.”   page 192

Living in a foreign culture is stressful. The constant attention to surroundings and vigilance takes a toll on energy and rest. Ian and I find ourselves relying on naps to just stay afloat. I love the Spanish word tranquilo and all its various forms. Times of tranquilidad are important to my writing. At this moment, I have that here in the apartment. I am alone with Christmas Carols playing in a distant room to drown out the street noise and the Peruvian coffee is perfect.

I went to the gym first today because of a quote from Kenneth Cooper that I found a few years ago:

Exercise before creativity: Regular exercise may increase creativity. The exercisers exhibited a much stronger level of creativity both immediately following the activity and two hours later. Kenneth Cooper: “The most creative and productive time I have is after exercise,” he says.  Kenneth Cooper , M.D. executive director of the Cooper Institute of Aerobic Research in Dallas. AARP  the Magazine, July/August 2006  “9 Reasons to Get Off the Couch Already!” Babrielle deGroot Redford

So, hello old friend. I am ready to sit down with you and work together again. Let’s see what transpires! It looks like I have another hour or so of creativity….

First batch of no-knead bread in Vermont

Graduation Speech

by Charles W. Pratt

Like much that matters, baking bread is easy
Enough, with good ingredients, a simple recipe:
To water, sweetener, salt and yeast
Add flower, and mix. Oh, yes, there’s Mystery,
But who demands to understand
When the dough is answering the hand
Under a morning window facing east?
Do they teach this at the University?

Cover the dough—left in the dark alone
It knows to take the next step on its own.
And when it’s risen with the sun
Towards noon an hour or two, punch it back down,
Shape it into loaves, and wait
Again while it again grows great—
But not too great: just peers above the pan.
Then, as the good book says, “Bake until done.”

The Zen of loafing? Eat a metaphor?
Now’s the time to try if bread is more
Than bread alone. Taste. Devour.
Firmly yielding? Moist and crunchy? Or
Evidence scattered on the plate
Of a loaf the knife disintegrates?
You’ve made it, anyhow. The day is yours—
Yours and the sun’s, now at its tallest hour.

The family enjoyed baking bread this summer after Katherine brought us the recipe and technique for making No-Knead Bread. We experimented with King Arthur bread flour, using white and whole wheat/white mixes. We loved the crispy crust and air pockets–great for butter or dipping into olive oil.  Vermont is the home of King Arthur flour, but what could I find in Peru? I had begun to think about making bread in Peru last year, but had given up when I could only find plain white and self-rising flour in the grocery stores.

Arriving in Peru in this September, I was determined to find some better flours and try the no-knead recipe.  Finally at last Saturday’s Bioferia Market in Miraflores,  I bought some whole wheat flour and rye flour which the man assured me would make bread. He had bread for sale right there to prove it. So I bought several bags and headed home, promising to let him know how it turned out.

Here’s the recipe:

No-Knead Bread

(see link above for demo on Youtube)

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound

Pre-heated Pyrex dish

So Ian and I experimented. First, we tried the whole wheat. I had found yeast in the supermarket last year, so I had that on hand. The recipe requires a preheated iron or pyrex pan with a lid. I had a great Le Creuset casserole in Vermont that worked beautifully, but it was too heavy to bring in our suitcase.  Since you have to preheat the pan to 450 degrees I could not use something that would melt or explode. We found good old faithful Pyrex in the local Sodimac (like a Home Depot) and knew we could trust that brand.

Whole wheat dough in Pyrex dish ready to go into hot oven

This bread recipe requires an 18 hour rise. The first time we made it, I left it out on the counter where it was about 70 degrees. The next batch I made with half white and half whole wheat and let it rise in the closet with a heating rod–warmer and drier during this cool and damp time of year in Lima.

Wheat wheat loaf

First batch with whole wheat flour

The flours here are softer and require less water. I found the consistency less elastic, probably because it has less gluten. Even so, the end result has been delicious! The crust is not as crisp as in Vermont, and that could be due to a number of factors: flour, pan, oven or humidity. It reminds me of science experiments and controlling variables. Meanwhile, we will continue to experiment with flour combinations, including the rye flour, too. Perhaps there is a cottage industry in the making!

I am also thinking this would be a good skill to teach in the churches to use for home or communion. There is something about baking bread that is very satisfying. Breaking bread together has all sorts of significance, too. Why not try a batch and let me know how yours turns out?

Half white and half whole wheat with corn meal coating

A slice off the bi-flour loaf: our favorite!

That first day of school outfit translates to travel clothes

The beginning of September has always signaled change: back to school, back to teaching, and now back to Peru. Over fifty years of buying school supplies and a new outfit creates a strong tradition. My new school supplies don’t just include Crayola markers and Godly Play materials,  but also scented candles, new towels and a Kindle. My outfit includes new running shoes, a coral scarf to dress up my neutrals, and sea glass dangling earrings.

Goodbye to the Writing/Potting Shed and hello to my cozy office

As the wind blows on this crystal clear Vermont day, I am sad as I think about leaving this summer retreat. Phil Driscoll plays on my Ipod, songs of praise that evoke memories of times past, times of packing up and farewells. I think back to leaving the house in Nashville and how I loved that house at 1142 Sewanee Road. Moving on is tough. Perhaps I should switch to Carly Simon’s “Anticipation”!

Despite the sadness, I find this year’s departure easier than those of the past for a number of reasons.  I have dates to look forward to:  a December visit with family and a  return to Vermont in late April. Also, I am beginning to recognize a fluidity to this missionary life. It is not an “either/or,” but rather a continuum, a continuum of family, fellowship and service whether I am in Peru, South America or Chester, Vermont.

Anticipating next spring's project: a new vegetable bed

I still wake up in the night with thoughts of the hurdles ahead: the hard work of improving my Spanish, conversations that I don’t understand, the daily feelings of inadequacy, and the distance from family.  I balance those fears with anticipation of new experiences such as taking along our new cat, Cleo. She makes us laugh! I also look forward to our walks along the coast, looking down to the mighty Pacific;  the French restaurant on the next corner; the children enjoying my lessons in Godly Play; reconnecting with my women prayer partners; the bustle of the city; the nearby Pilates class; and the friendships that are becoming comfortable after two years.  Dare I anticipate growth in language and relationships? Yes, I know that the steps forward outnumber the steps back. I rest in that knowledge.

Good bye to the spring and hello to the Pacific Ocean--places of prayer

Good bye to this gathering place and looking forward to our balcony in Miraflores

So how do we pack up? The Vermont house needs to be cleaned,  put to rest and mouseproofed! Plastic storage bins are a godsend, but I have yet to figure out how to keep the mice from coming in and leaving their calling cards. I will try the suggested dryer sheets and sprinkled cloves. The cat comes with us to Peru, but come April when we all return:”Watch out, mice!”

Sitting around the fire pit will morph into time on the balcony.

Anticipating planters in Lima filled with succulents and cacti

Finally, I take a last hike around the perimeter of the property and say goodbye to my favorite sites and trails. I call it Praying the Perimeter, and often Robert Frost’s words echo in my head, “Whose woods these are, I think I know.”

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

–Robert Frost

Leaving St. Francis in place, blessing

A last hike down the path to the waterfall in the woods

Spider web flags greeted us early Sunday morning.

For several years I have been looking for a St. Francis statue for the gardens. He had to have the right expression and stance. Earlier this month I found a stately statue at Stonehouse Antiques in Chester, and I set him up to survey the gardens in front of the house. He stands tall and strong. Cast in lead, he was created by Robert Amendola, a free-lance sculptor and teacher who lived in New England from 1935-95.

St. Francis statue watching over Cleo

I like the idea of St. Francis and his love of animals, but I must admit that I don’t serve all the ants, spiders and mice who would like to live in my house. I encourage the balance of prey and predator, and sometimes I am the predator.

Not to hurt the creatures, brethren, is our first duty to them,

but to stop there is not enough. We have a higher mission –

to be of service to them wherever they require it.

Saint Francis

On the domesticated front, each morning I take Cleo the cat out for a hike up the hillside behind the house. She’s trained now to race alongside me instead of wandering off. She leaps to catch grasshoppers and races up tree trunks. She keeps me in sight,  but does not come when called. When it’s time to go in, I have to sneak up on her or find her lying still for a moment so that I can make a quick grab. I have yet to find the effective lure.

Sitting by the spring after our hike up the hill--a daily routine

It’s August and the cicadas’ buzz rises and falls during the day, and the crickets trilling serenades us at night. The bats have not been flying at dusk this month, so I am wondering where they are. We are hoping that they have not succumbed to the current bat disease, white nose syndrome. I would hate to have 50 dead bats in the attic!

Handsome garden spider waiting for prey next to the spring pool

This month the wild turkey families parade across the front lawn after a soaking rain, and the black bear has made only one night-time raid on the bird feeders. I had hoped to catch him in the act, but it has yet to happen.

Little frog loves the spring pond and hops in when we come by.

These critters remind us that there is a great deal of life on this planet that carries on around us. We are not the center of the universe, merely occasional stewards and servants.

Daddy Long Legs inspecting the newly roasted Costa Rican coffee beans.

This tomato horn worm loved the jalapeno peppers, seeds and all.