Christmas Post

The month of December has brought a lot of joy from my mailbox.  I'm not talking about my emailbox, although that has been bright as well.  My post box has held messages from loved ones, wishing me and my family joy during the holiday season and letters telling me about their life. 

I've always been a snail mail kind of girl.  It always sends me over the moon when I receive something in the mail that isn't a bill or an advertisement. 

Today, Christmas day, I had an extra special surprise in my mail box.  On November 28,  I ordered seeds from my favorite seed company, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.  The seeds had to get to through customs before arriving on my doorstep.  I have thought of my order a few times recently, thinking I should see where the seeds are, assuming they were stuck in customs. 

When I checked the mailbox this afternoon, there they were.  I took them inside and ran upstairs to lay them out on my bed.  I wanted to bask in their glory.  As I pulled them out and verified everything arrived, my eyes welled with tears.  Dreams of my spring garden flourished in my imagination. 

Although I had a garden this past year, I really struggled with it.  The seasons are so different in Tokyo versus Seattle.  I was constantly behind "schedule" so my plants were always struggling to get going.  Add that will the poor quality of the soil, and I barely produced anything.  For the last couple of months, I have focused on improving the soil with compost and attracting worms with burying mulch.  I've noticed a vast improvement in the color and texture of the soil. 

I've also found English instructions for planting in Tokyo (which I didn't have until very late in the season last year).  This year, I feel more prepared for the differences in growing here.  I will be starting some of the seeds later this week!

One item that I am most excited about is growing tomatillos.  I have not seen them for sale in Japan and all of my friends are at a loss as to where I can locate them.  So, to me, the easiest solution is to grow them!  Send me your positive growing thoughts as I embark on this new garden adventure testing out my skills and hopefully expanding people's worlds with my produce.

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And in case you are wondering... I made a lovely Christmas dinner of roasted sudachi chicken, potatoes, mushroom dressing, and ginger orange cranberries.  It was delightful!