Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful... That's the only thing I can think when I look out the window today (that and hum more of the Mr. Roger's theme song). Even more beautiful because I have the day off! I slept with my windows open last night and slid the screens open this morning to full sun and blue skies. Perfect day for a road trip. Danielle and I are going to head northward to Nagano City this afternoon. I think we're going to see a "highway carpeted in tulips"?! It is one of those events that I've been hearing about but still don't quite understand what exactly it is. More later. Should be tons of tulips and a mass of humanity (dangerous mix in Japan: national holidays and flowers). Then, we're headed to Zenkoji, a massive Buddhist temple which happens to be displaying a Buddha statue only visable once every seven years. Lucky me! That will also be wall to wall people and will more than likely involve a lot of flowers. We'll be taking the train today, for sure.

I need some space here to boast about my new garden. It still geeks me out to actually have a house of my own... and then when those thoughts extend to the amount of ground I am allowed to "play" with... I'm simply beside myself. I spent around 3 hours planting on Sunday and I'm very excited at the thought of what I'm now waiting for: strawberries, lavender, chamomile, sweet basil, and spearamint in one corner. 15 sunflower seeds along the back fence. (If they all come up it will be like being in jail!). Interspersed with the sunflower seeds there is sweet corn!!! (How could I pass up that one? Come on.. the Sun Prairie girl not have sweet corn??) Considering that they sell an ear of corn here for around a dollar... I could be very popular come August! In the side yard, I currently have tomatos, cherry tomatos, cucumbers, peppers, and carrots. Then in the back where the tulips and the rose bush are... I bought a stack of different flower seeds that still need to go in. Now that it is Tuesday... I am still sore from all that planting! The waiting to see if any of it will humor me and produce food will be agonizing. I'm very eager to see how it goes. Being able to produce some of my own food will be so rewarding!! (again... veggies in this country are insanely expensive!!). So that's my pet project for the summer. I'm welcoming any and all advice, please!

More on the tulip highway later...