Whenever the season

Our place is finally having more snow, at a volume just nice for snowman and needless to shovel. Yes, this I'm very grateful for. :)








Then yesterday we had warmth like Springtime. I guess a transition is coming about when sun and snow are taking turns like that. Hang on there poor little birdies.


Can't help but feel that the days are really moving fast, and as they add on, changes are making their way with some I may not like them - like another dear friend who has to move away. But it's all good, it's for the entire good...


God is good, whenever the season. I want to grow more amenable with time, and raise a childlike faith. Cherish, whatever the season.




Shaved ice, nature made. Anyone?

Big big snow

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It was a warm, spring-like climate last week.



This one, Japan is blanketed in snow. To shovel, I have to plunge myself calves-deep into the icy cushion. 　There's a temptation to make an army of snowman with all that, but our neighbours' eyes helped.












Bear uses my car these days. His darling is gorgeously frost-capped these mornings. Heheh.

Friday scribbled

This is the view from the hallway, at daybreak followed by a snowy night. The trees sit in nicely for a landscape effect, courtesy of our neighbours behind. It's literally a moving picture when it snows in styles ~ diagonally, straight, lightly, heavy.

We're looking forward to the expression of fresh Spring.

Many may have already known, Orchids are extremely vulnerable to cold temperature, and my precious are struggling again this winter.

I'm crossing fingers that they'll make it to Spring since they're already heavy with buds. 頑張れ。。。


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I've made Bear a new pouch for his drinking bottle, with a most befitting motif cross-stitched. Shh... he doesn't know it yet. =)

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Last Christmas, I'm blessed with gifts from Helena in UK , who produces exquisite handmade cards. Her parcel was full of goodies, with her handmade cards enclosed. It's a difficult choice but I shall send one of her cards to a friend who needs attention now, she simply loves cats.

About Helena again, she's the maker of Dilly, the gween wagon dat luvs pink, I'll run to her site whenever I need a dose of humor. Guess what? I've received an award from Dilly! Fnar!!!

Awards are fun, friendly and by no means serious, but I shall be sensitive to some who may not like them.

So I'm passing to these fabulous five:


BP - Her scribbles encourage.

SAHM - She scribbles, shares and tickles.

梅子さん - I'm holding on to the language thanks to her scribbles.

J.H. - She scribbles, she snaps.

Maggie & Mitch - They frolic while the mom scribbles.



Now the rules,

Upload the picture on blog, pass it on, and don't forget that it originates from here.


This is one Friday, scrambled and scribbled. ;)

反射

Beautiful morning.

What's nice?

Winter 09/10 has been a snowy one.

We'll be having another snowy week again... nice! Bear forbids driving due to slippery roads. I'll have to waddle down to councils and get the papers done. Heheh, very nice.





Nicer, I'm facing various 'special requests' while desperately trying to get my own loose ends tied. Be working my tail off to gather much, with a nice finish I hope.





Haven't been getting decent sleep for months. When Bear sleeps that late, I can't slumber very well too. We are a lot like walking zombies now, what nicely grotesque faces we must be wearing. Heheh...

Let's hope that February will make things a lot nicer, in a nice way I mean. Inhale... Better get going before snow falls...

Baby it's cold outside

It's cold outside, in fact, it's snowing.

Come to think of it, if there must be Brrring in winter anyway, I would rather have snow!

I'm a good girl today ( normally, I'm not ). I've just returned from an errand, which is quite unusual during weekdays, but I desperately need some must-haves for the steamboat dinner tonight.





Off I went happily, and hoping to capture some nice pictures of snow during the trip, only to realise that this place is too neighbourhoody. An intrusive camera is somewhat considered an offensive sight, there isn't any decent landmark to help the snow stand out either.


No, it's more like me cooking up excuses for the trashy photos / cheesy post.

It happens... especially when one's well of inspiration has dried up. =P

Ok, I'm bad afterall. But believe me, the falling snow was breathlessly pretty... I had fun brushing my eye lashes laden heavy with snow. =)


Meanwhile, something else pretty is lying backstage.




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It's whispering, ' Spring '.

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Japan, through foreign eyes

It was about a month ago when my family flew over from Singapore to visit us! =)





I was truly thrilled by their second visit to where I now call 'home', since their attendance to our wedding. On the flip side, I was also wrecking brains over what to show them at this ghost town I'm staying.

Anyway, we've managed to bring them places. Here's Japan through their eyes!





Above everything, I prayed hard for snow. Yes, SNOW!!! as my folks who've inhabited the isle at the equator are acquainted with no seasons but summer, all their lives. A perfectly white winter was all they needed! And God is faithful!! It snowed from heavens during a weekend and washed everything dazzling white! Praise the Lord!!





It was written all over their faces, I guess the sight was simply too beautiful beyond description. Deep inside, I couldn't help thanking God for this special blessing of snow. =)


We slipped to Tokyo, Disney Land & Sea, neighbouring prefecture... Shopping, Japanese cuisine experience, sight-seeing, ski, walks, and guess what my family told me. They couldn't understand why I would reminisce Singapore despite having so much cool stuff here. Huh?!?


I shan't digress to explain myself... Their trip was sealed with a traditional sensation at a Japanese inn. What's a trip to Japan without a hot spring bath?

Nudity before strangers is not something I'm comfortable with. It's a lot of awkwardness even in public bath of a common gender. Things got a little better after Bear has exposed me to bath experience for several times. However, private spring baths like these best put me at ease.



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Sometimes, private spring baths are allocated at individual guestrooms, some with outdoor setup that I love the most, excellent when furnished with jacuzzi. =)

And what's a Jap trip without experiencing the gorgeous presentation of Jap cuisine! The hospitable inn specially prepared extra dishes on the house, when they found out that they were entertaining guests from Singapore. The lavish course of Japanese fine food and taste never fails to impress my family.

Time spent in Japanese inns is rightfully slow and restorative, but I was busy clicking away at my family, offering translation, explanation, stuff like that. I was thoroughly busy!

Nevertheless, I had a truly great time with my family. And I hope that they've bagged some wonderful memories home. I guess, travelling Japan may have never crossed their mind if I'm not married to Hubby Bear, as they always have other 'cool' destinations on their list.
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My parents were especially delighted when we caught an unexpected fireworks at my place! Their grins were convincing, they must have had a marvelous time with us. =)

Decked in White

We could have had a white little Christmas as forecasted, but snow fell a lil later...

It still felt Christmasy this morning when I saw everything outside under a white-washed blanket. =)

So, it didn't snow on Christmas day after all, and unlike previous years, we merely had a quiet celebration at home. Do you know? Christmas is NOT a holiday in Japan!! ( Sniff... ) The Bear had tons of work in his office, and so I slogged my ass off in the kitchen yesterday to prepare a spread for our dinner table.

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With dessert being a cake adorned in white. ;)

No more over-rated cakes from hotels and bakeries, I was resoluted to give it a go with my first round pan. Yes, I've baked a cake for Christmas, after having given my oven a break for over 3 months!

We fell in love with the texture of the cake, soft, moist and absolutely spongy!! The only flaw was the lack of fresh cream to give it a pretty finish ( which also means a healthy cut of fats ). Greedy Bear helped himself with a quarter of it right after our sumptuous Christmas feast! I'm pretty excited about using the recipe again for other baking opportunities. =D Check out where I've dug the sponge cake recipe from!

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Still having a good time? I hope you've had a wonderful Christmas. Happy Holidays!!

First snow

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We had a beautiful weekend. =)) Took a walk on a fine day in late Autumn.











It certainly still looked very ' autumny ' everywhere. The trees were not all that hideously bald. Romance we had it, a great lunch, a cool ride... We took everything slow under the late Autumn sky.


However, I was pretty sure I 'smelt ' something. My nose starts acting funny whenever cold air raids in. I actually smell ' trees ' during winter, or when chilled air is approaching.



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Bear assured that it probably takes a few weeks for snow to fall, and so I dismissed my suspicion quite readily.



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And guess what? We're having first snow, today! WHEEEE!!!

The entire morning was like sunshine, then an angry blizzard, stopped, snow again, sunshine, snow again, and blizzard... Haha!


I must be a walking thermometer then!! Ha! =D





It's certainly tough when it gets cold, but the beauty of snow is one reason that makes winter a little endurable. =P It's pretty exciting to see everywhere white-washed again! I'm already wondering if we'll have a white Christmas this year. =)



So, goodbye Autumn. Until next year!

Time to get geared people! I'll be checking out winter on your side. ;)

Goodbye Winter

I always feel that Winter goes away slower than any other seasons.

As the temperature gradually rises above zero degrees during daytime, gone are the snow on the roads and rooftops. The largest lake in the Nagano Prefecture that I'm staying, 諏訪湖 ( Suwako ) is slowly taking off the white jacket of ice, restoring to the orginal blue.

Every year, there will be swans and madarain ducks migrating to Suwako for shelther. My husband told me that these birds are either from Russia or Hokkaido of Japan, where winter romps too harsh for these poor animals. Visitors to the lake take pleasure in feeding these lovely migrants. My husband and I always enjoy feeding them with bread bits, and guess which pairs are truly husband and wife. Adorable mandarin ducks are vainly caped with coat of feathers in maroon, green, brown, grey, black or white. Ain't easy to guess which ones are couples either.

By the time my husband comes back after the business trip late next week, the ice lake might have been completely melted. Mountains starting to show good shades of blue and life appearing everywhere. It has been a gentle winter, no harsh snow storm or frequent snowfalls that I experienced 3 years ago, and I'm thankful about it. It'll be another 11 months perhaps when snow falls again, so I'll just share here a final roundup of what we've seen this winter.

Driving our way up a mountain. Tough drive indeed.

Barren and lifeless looking ... These trees surrounding the lake are actually Cherry Blossom ( 桜、Sakura ). They shall be blooming in late April with other plants transforming into luscious green!

Mysterious, icy cold, yet simply captivating. One never fails to exclaim the wonders of nature.