In the cold season, I can't help but think of the warmth of my hometown and recall the twinkling fishing lanterns swaying between the water and the sky.

For a leopard gecko, ten years means old age. It began to spend a lot of time resting and became less active. At most, when I tried to get its attention, it would just lift its head, open its eyes to look at me briefly, and then lower its head again, gently resting its chin on the edge of the water dish. It seemed to be saying that it was worn out and aging, carrying the heavy weight of time, lingering at the crossroads of life, not knowing whether to move forward or backward, always on the verge of losing its footing.

A friend cooked a table full of delicious dishes and was originally going to wait for her husband to come back and have dinner together. However, something unexpected came up and her husband couldn't make it home. With this table full of food, she had no choice but to eat alone. After taking a photo, she posted it on her WeChat Moments with the caption: "In life, the loneliest thing is to eat a whole table of food by yourself. It tastes like chewing wax, bitter and hard to swallow." My friend is an excellent cook, and the dishes she prepares with her heart must taste great. But without anyone to accompany her, even the most fragrant food seemed tasteless.

Takeout food is indeed the wisdom of modern people's lives. However, when we slowly wash the grains of soil off the vegetables, the fragrant details of life will also flow along the clear water at our fingertips.

The ancients said, "Da means flourishing, and by this time the snow becomes abundant." "Major Snow" is the third solar term in winter. By this time of the year, the yin energy reaches its peak. After this day, the temperature drops sharply and snowstorms are on the way, marking the official beginning of the cold winter. However, while the cold winter arrives, it also brings magnificent landscapes with thousands of miles of ice and snow.

Rewind the clock 30 years ago. For people at that time, 8 PM signified the beginning of the most ceremonious part of daily life.

In recent years, I've noticed that the minimalist style has been prevalent. Adhering to the concept of "decluttering and detachment", people are subtracting from all aspects of life. There's the so-called "capsule wardrobe" for clothes. In winter, six pieces are enough, and in summer, eight pieces will do. The main colors are black, white, and gray, with colorful accessories used as highlights in the collocation. Make the best use of everything and improve efficiency. Don't spend time and energy on such superficial aspects as clothing, so that one can face study and career more efficiently.

I know that there are many delicacies in this world that I've never seen or even heard of. But for a long time, I thought that tofu was the most delicious food in the world.

Writer Ge Fang wrote in her book "Vague Jiangnan" that her brother-in-law was a young hooligan when he was young. He was always fighting and getting into trouble everywhere, which made her sister live in constant fear. By the time he reached middle age, however, his temperament had changed dramatically. He planted flowers and grass in the front and back yards, spending all day hunched over taking care of them. In his free time, he would also go fishing and climbing mountains. When his sister came back late from playing mahjong outside, he wouldn't complain or get angry. Instead, he would voluntarily take in the sheets on the balcony and fold them neatly.

For an ideal life, millet porridge should be on the breakfast table. The grains of millet are golden. Sip it slowly and accompany it with newly pickled Chinese cabbage. Let the gentle wind, the nourishing rain, the essence of the sun and the spirit of the moon all come into your stomach, giving you a sense of harmony between man and nature and a feeling of intoxication.

Approaching parent-teacher conferences with a list of grievances might seem like a natural response, but it's crucial to consider a more constructive approach. It's entirely feasible to address your child's educational challenges without engaging in confrontations with their educators or placing blame, even when the issues at hand are particularly contentious. Jennifer Breheny Wallace, author of "Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic — And What We Can Do About It," shares an anecdote where a mother was tempted to confront her son's teacher aggressively after a false accusation of plagiarism. However, she chose to remind herself that the teacher was an ally in her son's educational journey, aiming for his success. By extending the benefit of the doubt and initiating the conversation calmly, she set a positive tone that led to a productive dialogue and ultimately, her son received significant support to enhance his writing skills, as recounted by Wallace.

The list of recent food recalls is extensive and continues to expand: a renowned brand of deli meats; finely chopped onions on a well-liked burger; frozen waffles and bagged organic carrots under various labels sold nationwide; and most recently, ready-to-eat meat and poultry products available both in stores and online. While some of these recalls have resulted in illnesses, hospitalizations, and fatalities, others were initiated before any impact on consumers was reported. As we prepare for holiday feasts with loved ones, food safety is likely a pressing concern.