天山山下牧牛羊

     For many women, there's nothing like an enticement of beautiful clothes and luxurious bags. They are often the choice for special occasions to show their fashion and style. But in my mind, while luxurious bags and beautiful clothes are an enticing option, it might not be the necessary option. Usually, I prefer everything in moderation.

   In spite of luxurious bags' global popularity, the question constantly comes up: Is a luxurious bag necessary? The biggest concern is bad social climate, make all of young people's goals and lifestyle are chasing  the money for that.

"Life is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you're gonna get."

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening雪夜停林邊

The lunar New year is coming soon, and a big feast will be prepared for every family in the New Year eve.

Last night my husband and I  were talking about what kind of food we will prepare for New Year's Eve before sleeping.

we didn't deciede what to buy in the year.

Before the  covid-19, the extended of my husband's family more than 40 people would come to my home, we make a reservation in a restaurant, and I only prepare some fruit, snacks, tea and coffee in my living room. After lunch, they get together in the living room,  adults are seated around the table, kids walk and run around the ground , eating,talking, laughing, playing,what a blessing scene.

Because of covid, we have stoped this big party since 2019.

  How can we live with peace of mind? It sounds easy, but most of us can't, because we can't be free from external interference and think too much. 

   This morning I went to Taiwan Business Bank to make a regular deposit, but the bank teller told me I couldn't, because my bank account was opened  in 中壢 not in 青埔. It made me uncomfortable in this highly networked time. But I thought I should let it go and  live in peace.

   Rarely do people know about a regular deposit account is not connected between different bank branches, now I learn from it.

 "The man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder"---Thomas Carlyle.

Usually, we don't scrutinize "why am I alive"? We  eat, we sleep, we work and we want to make more money, but we don't muse about" what on earth am I here for"?

When I was working, I had a strong sense of purpose, I was busy  improving  students' learning skills everyday, I made a lot of decisions and policies to reach that.  I didn't have time to think about the meaning of life? But  I have nothing to do everyday after retirement, I felt empty and meaningless, I don't know why I am alive?

It's a poor society when I was a child, working to eat is deeply in everyone's mind. I don't know how to live when I don't have to work.

Then, I went traveling around the world and studied in English class, singing class, yoga class,etc. It is almost all of my time everyday. It makes me busy and I forget to get in a bad mood.  But occasionally I still wonder what the purpose of my life is?

How blessed I am.
因為住青埔,可以感受"五月天演唱會"的搖滾氛圍.

Last night my husband and I went to the "Mayday" concert in Taoyuan Baseball Stadium near my home. We didn't buy the ticket which sold out within 16 minutes of starting the sale  according to Yahoo News.
We stood outside the stadium with some young people and swayed with the rhythm in the cold winter night.  I am a fun of Mayday, but my husband isn't. He still accompanied me for a while and we went around the food stands and bought some snacks home. Sometimes I think I shouldn't  take my husband's love for granted.

Yesterday I rose with the sun.

Today I also woke up with the sun, but I lay  on the bed wrapped in a quilt. The feeling was so warm,relax, peaceful and calm. it seems a fish get into the water from the land .

I hold my pillow tight and let my thoughts flew anywhere, in the past, at this moment, in the future, thinking about friends, family, worked place, a moment of glory or sorrow and the poems of William Yeats.
Sometimes I put the video on, I enjoy the voices from studio classroom, sometimes I fall asleep again. 

 What kind of things do  I enjoy the most in a wet and cold  winter morning? I prefer tucked in the bed and wrapped in a quilt until the sunslight came in to call me to get up again and again.

Don't miss these delicious dishes from places around the Taiwan. The rich Taiwanese famous foods are the important  reasons  why many foreigners fall in love with Taiwan.

If you are traveling across Taiwan and get hungry, try some of these mouthwatering foods!

1. Hakka stir-fry 苗栗
      It's a Hakka-style cuisine. Originated from Hakka people in 福建and廣東, because they lived in mountainous areas of South China were living in poverty, they seldom had chicken, duck, fish, and other meat to eat, only slaughter livestock during important occasions, they are  advantages of any meat with vegetables in their own garden. So Hakka stir-fry dishes were created.
 ingredient---shredded pork, dried tofu, squid, celery, green onion, are fried into a salty, spicy,oily  dish.

Finally, Taiwan society get away from the bottom of Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

The other day, my husband and I went to the Flowers Festival in DAXI.We strolled in the flower fields, it was a beautiful morning, the music was on the air, sunshine covered the flower feild, calm and free; pink, red, yellow, white…. in front of us, made my eyes so busy. Then other tourists came gradually.

There were many food stall near the field, shortly after breakfast, we didn’t want to buy any snack, but I was lured by an ice cream stall.

 September is the season to eat Longan.

 I was going to plant the seed for a potted longan, so I bought some. When my husband ate the longan, his tooth was broken and spent 16000 NT dollars to install dentures. I felt so sad.

The potted longan is growing very lush now, but every time I see it, I think of my husband who has been uncomfortable for a long time and his16000 NT dollars.

https://youtu.be/avEpO3K_Hjs   

很久沒有寫部落格, 但今天心中有一些話想要說, 找不到適合的對像說這樣的話題, 所以我回到這兒, 牧自己的牛羊. 因為這兒沒幾個 Readers,也算是寫給自己看的了.

昨天去上英文課, David是我最喜歡的英文老師, 他教我們唱 The Hearse Song. 老師教我們的是Brilling唱的版本, 歌詞很有哲學味,沒這麼噁心.是外國人在萬聖節教小孩唱的歌. 但回來打開Youtube, 都是Rusty Cage的版本,歌詞把屍體在棺材裡腐爛,蟲子來來往往的情形,描寫得實在太過火,我翻譯給先生聽,他一直叫我不要說下去了, 死亡這議題,總是亞洲人的禁忌. 但面對死亡,這首歌也許要教我們瞭解實際,坦然面對.一切回歸自然.

   第一眼看到這歌詞,有點兒震驚,有點兒難受, 有點兒哀傷,又有點兒淒涼, 面對從沒去想過的現實,心情複雜起來, 有時總會問自己, 人生是什麼?
   外國人會用這題材教孩子,也讓我思索中西教育文化的差異. 我想我若是在學校教這首歌, 家長會不會抗議叫我 走路.

     打開 youtube , 無意中發現了 "知否知否 應是綠肥紅瘦 "的標題, 因為以前讀書時候, 就很陶醉李清照的這闋詞, 忍不住點了進去, 原來是大陸歌手郁可唯的一首歌, 是大陸連續劇的主題曲, 我不喜歡追劇, 但很喜愛郁可唯的歌聲, 因此就深入瞭解這動人的歌曲.

   一朝花開傍柳      尋香誤覓亭侯       緃飲朝霞半日暉      風雨著不透

   一任宮長驍瘦      台高氷淚難流       錦書送罷驀回首      無餘歲可偷

  昨夜雨疏風驟  濃睡不消殘酒   試問捲簾人 卻道海棠依舊   知否知否 應是綠肥紅瘦

　退休的王校長在台南老家有兩口魚塭，前些天，他們夫妻邀我們四、五好友到他老家二日遊，並體驗養殖漁家的真實生活及甘苦。

　王校長不愧是教育人，養魚的歷程～在他的腦海裡是一套課程，引海水，放魚苗，餵魚，網魚，捕蝦，從網裡剝下魚，殺魚，每個環節不是仔細講解，就是設計好讓我們親身體驗，平時吃魚不知網魚苦，經過這兩天的身歷其境，才知漁家辛苦，也分享了漁家樂趣。

「從容不迫、回歸樸實，融入當下，貼進自然」，這是王校長在職時不可奢求的生活步調，現在退休了，他回老家管理魚塭，過勞動的漁家生活，他享受「能做、會做、喜歡做」的愉悅；別人的魚塭是養魚、養蝦、養水、養自己，但王校長的魚塭卻是讓一批批的親友親身體驗，分享漁村風景，分享經驗，分享魚穫，感恩王校長這種珍貴的「分享」理念，才讓我們對這陌生的領域，有進一步的瞭解，以前開車路過嘉南平原沿海的魚塭，只認知是一池池的水，現在再看魚塭，腦海裡呈現的卻是一幅漁家風景。

五月又是母親的日子，我們和兒媳去聚餐，西堤牛排十一點多就擠滿了人，沒訂餐還沒飯吃，在餐廳永遠看不到不景氣，外子慷慨的和兒媳說，你們請客，我付錢，我們有一個好爸爸.

 　"台中師專" 是台中教育大學的前身，民國76年台中師專改制為"台中師範學院"，後來又改制為台中教育大學。但不管怎麼改，那兒是我的母校啦。

　我們這一班民國64年從"台中師專"畢業，今年是我們畢業四十週年，大夥在十二月五日校慶這一天，包括六個班級的同學準備要回學校聚一聚，由在母校服務的二位男同學在籌備。　有些期待呢！

  事實上，三十週年時在母校聚會過一次，只是當時我在職，工作忙錄,錯過了在師院的座談會，只參加了在忠孝國小的餐會，不像現在退休了，可以氣定神閒的出席校友會。 

我們六四己班的同學會上，主辦人告訴我們＂畢業四十年＂了。會  

四十年前的我們。

又是結婚紀念日，我和外子去吃個飯，沒有燭光，但有溫馨的每個日子。

Then，I went to foot massage by myself, my husband didn't go with me,because he don't like it. 

　母親節到了，兒子媳婦買了十條小魚兒當作母親節禮物。

　我拿了一個大碗，擺幾顆石子，又在院子拔了幾根水草佈置一翻，看著魚兒悠遊自在的在碗裡搖頭擺尾，實在很有趣。

　　這魚兒很有活力，每天都在比賽誰跳得高，而且還跳出碗去，每次外出回來，怎麼又少一條，我在客廳找來找去，總是無法救回小魚兒，現在外出，我只好找個蓋子把它蓋起來，希望這魚兒乖乖待在碗裡。

  Jeannie 給我寫信，不止一次的提到：

「Do as much as you can while you still healthy and still young, it will not always be there, I can promise you that.」一個八十歳的老人告誡六十歳的中老人.

　今天外子參加舊同事的餐會，我心想一個人do as much as I can，計劃去吃飯、喝咖啡、騎ubike、按摩，過一天貴婦生活。

在骨科做手肘物理治療後，我找了一家居酒屋用餐，打電話給英文老師Kaye一起用餐，但她人不在中壢，我就自己一個人慢慢品嚐日本料理，壽司、生魚片、手卷、天婦羅.....，好不愜意。399加小費439元吃到飽，我不知道划算不划算，因為我實在吃不了多少，只是在享受生活。

　第一次看到 "IRobot"是在夏威夷homedad家，每次週三吃過晚餐，homedad　就叫我們把椅子放在桌上，因為IRobot設定在第二天早上九點會自動吸塵，所以homedad家非常乾淨，當時心想回台灣也要買一個，但回來也沒積極去處理。 

　今年暑假去山東，弟媳家也有一個，只是廠牌不同，弟媳認為有一個實在太方便了。我回台灣以後在網路買了二個，一個給媳婦，一個自己用；IRobot很認份，從不會抱怨，沒掃乾淨絕不敢偷懶，掃完了又會自動回家,。

  自從有了IRobot跑來跑去,家裡就乾淨多了,尤其是地毯,再也不會黏黏膩膩了 。

  以前也買過好幾個傳統式吸塵器，但總是不好用，而且不多久就故障，直到這次的IRobot，我覺得是我買過最實用的清潔工具了，我想傳統手持式的吸塵器，應該很快就會被淘汰了。

　格友老劉分享如何做"福圓米糕"，簡單易學，我就動手做啦！

第一次做，我完全照老劉的方法。

第二次做我把留言板的意見加下去，但不管那一種做法，可是都很好吃呢！

一杯圓糯米