Another Gentle Snowfall - Mandarin Orange Chicken And Sesame Asparagus

 

Song:  Misty Mountains (cover)

Artist:  Malinda

I love snow...

and even though we are having just light snowfalls

(the heaviest snowfalls happen in April and May here)...

it gives a wonderful winter landscape without me having to plow my driveway...

just yet  :)

Bandi on her way to her bathroom.

I won't need to use my snowblower until the snow gets to be over a foot high...

which shouldn't happen until a major snowstorm hits here.

Even though the temperature is in the 20s F...

it doesn't feel so cold outside...

as only the gentlest of breezes is blowing.

My blanket shrouded recliner looks like a ghost  :)

For today's meal...

I made Mandarin Orange Chicken and Sesame Asperagus

There was just the lightest dusting of snow on the trees.

Just poking out behind the distant mountain is Pikes Peak...

at over 14,000 ft. of elevation.

As the thick floor tiles are heated from beneath (sub floor heating)...

I comfortably walk around barefoot...

even on the coldest of days.

The tiles are toasty warm on my feet...

as the subfloor heating gently warms the whole house.

My meal of Mandarin Orange Chicken...

Sesame Asparagus...

and flour tortillas dipped in hummus.

I gave Bandi a generous portion of the chicken mixed into her kibble...

but after she finished her food...

she came over to me and lay her chin on my leg 

 and just lovingly looked at me with her big brown eyes...

and, of course...

 I gave her more portions of chicken from my plate.

And, yes...

she has me well trained :)

As the evening twilight began to darken...

I noticed the moon and a planet in the sky...

and I decided to take one last shot for the day...

through the loft octagonal window.

Community Craft Fair - Fire Extinguisher Bear

 

Song:  Precious and Few

Group: The Climax Blues Band

My mountain community had an arts and crafts fair put on 

by the people of our mountain estates.  

The arts and crafts were made by the people who live in our mountain community.

This is the mountain estates community center.

This is just down the mountain and a few miles from my home.

They have a year round heated swimming pool...

a steam room, heated spa, a large gathering room...

among other amenities.

They had a free movie night here for the people of the community...

with free popcorn, pizza, and other snacks...

just a week ago.

This is also where I take my household garbage.

It just costs $1 a bag...or flattened cardboard box.

I use this instead of contracting with a garbage pick up...

as, so long as I don't have a lot of boxes to throw away...

it is just one tenth the cost.

I just throw away my garbage bag when I pick up my mail.

As I also have a trash compactor...

I usually only need to throw away the garbage once or twice a week.

Outside the community center...

a food truck also came for this one day event.

There were a lot of people of the community who have hobbies that provide 

extra income...mostly from online sales I would imagine.

The man in that second stand uses a chain saw and woodcarving tools

to carve different animals.

He was the one from whom I had bought Fire Extinguisher Bear.

The baked goods looked good...

but were mostly sweet...

and I don't really eat sweets too often.

I did buy some doggie treats for Bandi from one of the un-photographed venders.

I just thought this Fire Extinguisher Bear would go so well in my home.

I also bought five bags of doggie treats for Bandi.

The lady selling them makes them out of peanut butter...

and other ingredients.

Bandi loved them.

The man who carved Fire Extinguisher Bear

said he got free wood from a neighbor after he had cut down 

some pine trees near his home.

Although the food looked good...

I usually eat...

at most...twice a day...

and more usually...

just once.

As I was not hungry...

I didn't order anything.

Fire Extinguisher Bear now has a new home in my kitchen.

Meet...

Kuma...

the Fire Extinguisher Bear.

He even has carved in straps holding the fire extinguisher on to his back.

Cute...

but most of all...

functional.

I really love my mountain estates community.

Although it is sparsely populated up here...

as most of the properties are weekend or vacation homes...

or are purchased for future retirement...

the people are friendly.

I was happy to buy something from someone from my community.

It was a home christening that flows into the whole bear theme

of my mountain home.

A Serene Snowfall

 

Album:  The Fairy Ring

Artist:  Mike Rowland

I had awakened this morning to a light snowfall.

It was only a very light and brief snowfall...

but it was nice to see.

I got up and cooked a Korean dish called Kalbi

(Korean short ribs).

Bandi always hangs around the kitchen whenever I cook.

She finds the smell of cooking meat irresistible.

She knows I always share my food with her...

and so...

she always licks her chops in anticipation of a meal to come.

This simple meal filled both of us up for the meantime.

This incense brings back memories of my childhood in Japan.

These sandalwood incense sticks were burned everywhere...

especially at the temples.

I often burn them at home.

It adds an ambiance of the past...

one of deep serenity.

I bought a rocking recliner to just sit in while I take in the views.

I covered it with a blanket to keep it from getting damaged by the morning sun...

and to keep Bandi's fur off of it.

Sonos Era 300

This one speaker housing holds six drivers (speakers)...

four of which face the sides...

one faces upwards...

and one faces forwards.

It has this layout to give a greatly enhanced spatial separation to the sound.

I placed it on top of the fireplace mantle so as to utilize 

this speaker as it was designed to be utilized.

The sound reflects off of the ceiling and the walls to give the music 

an expansive sound.

And...

it connects via Bluetooth to my iPhone's whole music library...

and I may control everything through it.

I am compiling soft jazz to play while I read...

or when I look out at the view through my front windows.

At about noon...

the sun is over head...

and so...

no longer shines directly through my front windows.

This is when I may recline and read one of my favorite books

while in an almost fully reclined position.

There is but one problem...

this recliner is so plush...

and so comfortable...

I find it hard to stay awake while reclined in it.

While reading...

I had gotten sleepy...

and so...

I went to bed for a nap.

When I had awakened...

the snow had begun to fall in greater amounts.

I had promised myself that with the first real snowfall...

I would light the fireplace and recline in my chair...

as I took in the scene before me.

I now park my car in my heated garage...

as the snowfalls may come at anytime.

---------------

Time is something none of us may escape...

but in how we spend that time is something we may control.

Yes...

plan your life...

but also be grateful for the great simple pleasures of life.

Choose to be deeply happy in life...

for there will be many things out of our control in it.

However...

there will always be a time and place where you may step away 

from the storms in life so you may reflect upon your dreams.

Steadily working towards them is what gives you that state of serenity.

 

Treasure those moments in life...

for that is the state of being which forever raises your inner happiness...

where a new threshold is established...

and where the regrets of your past no longer haunt you...

and your future brings more hope of even greater times.

This is when you are no longer the person of your past...

but a newer and better person of your future.

When you are in this state of serenity...

you notice the great beauty all around you...

and as happiness begets happiness...

it becomes a positive feedback loop of hope...

and so...

feeds your future state of serenity.

Life...

for me...

is as gentle and serene as was this snowfall.

I have much for which to look forwards...

for I refuse to allow myself to be away too long

from my serene state of being...

for this is the world in which I wish to live.

This is my choice...

as it is under my control...

and so...

who and what I am at my core.