In the frigid cold

“Snowdrops: There is a fragile but hardy celebration... in the very teeth of winter.”

- Louise Wilder -

Though I've been inactive in blogging, I've kept walking in the bracing cold air.
I found a swarm of snowdrops, bundled in the coat in “the strongest cold air front in several years.” 

Winter is a good time to take a good look at trees in their bone structure with subdued colors.

Beautifully flowing branches without leaves display abundant seedpods, 

which look like gold flowers from a distance.

Urchin-like fruits of Sweetgum, or Linquidambar styraciflua.

Fantastic shades of Silver or Sepia.

Caramel-colored Heuchera on the ground.

One morning in my garden in the frosty air.

The young ones challenged to break their record in the big rope jump.

"When winter comes, can spring be far behind?"

Better times surely come after difficult times.

More about the charm of winter; The quiet beauty of January.

Linked to Mosaic Monday

To keep the memory alive, to pass on lessons

Today is the 30th anniversary of the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. 

Where were you at 5:46 a.m. on January 17th, 1995?  I was suddenly woken up by long, violent tremors, the biggest one I had experienced in my life, at my home  in Nara City about 80km from my home town Kobe City. Until then, I had never imagined such a catastrophic earthquake would strike Kobe and Hanshin area and how devastating the result was. Kobe people were totally unprepared. Little by little the horrible, shocking scenes appeared on TV screen – collapsed buildings and highways, derailed trains, and fires. Fires were like inferno uncontrolled due to the broken water pipes. I was watching  at the burning Kobe under the hazy shade of winter on the TV screen with the feeling of helplessness.

One of the heart-warming things was people's attitude to help one another, to try their best to move forward, and to stand together to restore the shattered community while tolerating inconveniences.  The destroyed Meriken wharf was restored in less than 2 years. In nearly 10 years, Kobe revitalized like a phoenix from the ashes.

One part of Meriken warf has been preserved as Kobe Earthquake Memorial Park.

With many lessons learned from all the past big earthquakes since 1995, we've been preparing for safety in a Nankai Megathrust Earthquake forecasted in about 30 years.

I ask myself if I'm not just letting the days go by. Our lives could change next day. Isn’t it a miracle when we can live rather in peace amid all the heart-breaking incidents all over this planet?  

Now I’m thinking of those who are affected by the LA fires, firefighters working hard frantically risking their lives, and many other people deeply committed to help.  

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Happy holidays!

With only ten days left this year, I’d like to thank you all for encouraging and inspiring me 
in the blogsphere throughout the year.

I also hope you spending this special time of year in a relaxed way enjoying what you like to do.

It's gotten quite chilly these days after five months of summer

and only one month of autumn.

Ginkgo leaves are still beautiful even in the late-December.

Dec. 16th

My husband and I are having the secular Christmas only between two of us
and celebrating the New Year with all the family members. 

Origami ornaments for Christmas by M

                                                  

December is the most eventful month in my family.

My son, the eldest and the youngest grandchild F and M, were born in December.

S completed Kobe Full Marathon in November

 Merry Christmas and Joyous New Year!

Linked to Mosaic Monday