In between jet lag naps and unwrapping all of my stationery from Japan, I started our garden for the summer! I planted almost everything mid-May and then added a couple of things last week. So far, so good, but I really do need to cut back my chive plant before it takes over! 
I clearly didn’t learn my tomato jungle lesson from last year…I planted six tomato plants! I just kept seeing new varieties I wanted to try! I planted both pink and red Brandywines, a Juliet, a Golden Girl, a Cherokee Purple, and a Mr. Stripey. The Juliet already has a couple of tomatoes growing! 
In between the tomatoes, I planted peas, lima beans, edamame, bush beans, Japanese scallions, lettuce, parsley, thyme, and basil all from seed. And then on impulse, I added a rosemary plant and a sweet banana pepper plant. I wanted to try a couple of cutting flowers from seed, but I haven’t gotten my act together, so those might have to wait until next year. As it is, things are looking pretty full. All of the seeds are coming up and it really is just a matter of time before the tomatoes are taking over.
I love this time of year when everything is all tidy in its place. (At least in the garden it is…my apartment is a whole different story!)
How is your garden growing?
I do love a good Bomb Pop in the summer. Three distinct tasty flavors, the creamy consistency (only the 
So I tried lychee…
Last week I shared my 
They are pretty tiny…it’s hard to tell from the pictures, but the glass holds about three ounces and the plate is big enough for maybe a few crackers and some cheese? I thought they’d be perfect for a little beer or cider and nuts or cheese. Plus, who doesn’t love a good fish plate? (I did a little googling and could only find 
And you may remember these dishes from 
Once you’re there, you forget that there’s a busy street below. It’s surrounded by lush greenery and trees and feels so removed and peaceful. 
There is traditional seating near the windows where you can appreciate the trees and fountains outside. We sat at a regular table, but we still had amazing views. 
The meal was very traditional, using locally-sourced ingredients and lots of yuzu, hence the name Yuzu-ya. (
Next, we had smelt grilled alongside bamboo leaves on a tiny table-top grill. 
(It was looking at me.) On the side was a yuzu sauce. I picked off as much meat as I could, but Naoto finished it off for me. (He ate every last bit, including the eye and the bones!)
It was incredible. 
The dessert course was green tea and a brown sugar mochi. A simple but delicious way to end the meal.
April is National Card and Letter Writing Month!
After we checked out the 
I poked through hundreds of boxes of postcards throughout the mall. I actually had to stop myself because my parents were with me and I didn’t want to slow us down. Sadly, I didn’t find any good Princeton, IL postcards to send that day, but I found a USPS hot air balloon puzzle postcard and an old 
And I picked up some other vintage Chicago postcards. I love the scalloped edges! (Seriously, can you find edges like these on modern postcards?)
I thought the horse cards would be fun for mail art in May (for the Kentucky Derby, which I’ve only seen once on TV.) And Naoto and I have been to Hawaii a few times but I’ve never made an album of our adventures, so I thought maybe some playing cards would help make that project happen. 
The money I saved on the Eureka seals was wasted on these Dennison stars. They were packaged in a sealed bag and labeled “almost full” which was less than truthful, especially as far as the blue and red boxes were concerned. You win some, you lose some I guess. And, last but not least, this box of Dennison mailing labels! There are more than 200 in the box (which was also in sealed packaging) and it was definitely a winner!
The last stop in our little tour of Illinois was Princeton, the home of the Red Covered Bridge. 
The bridge was built in 1863 and runs across Bureau Creek just north of Princeton. It is still an active bridge, allowing cars to cross one at a time. (It’s no two lane highway!) 
I loved this advertisement on the ceiling beams for 
When I was young, we visited the bridge. If you’d asked me a few weeks ago about our visit to the bridge, I would have said we drove across the country to see it. The ride, as an eight year-old felt sooooo looooooong! In reality, Princeton is only about an hour away from my hometown. Isn’t it funny how your memory plays tricks on you? 
My mom dug out this picture of us on our first visit to the bridge in 1986. (That’s my brother in the snappy Hawaiian shirt and my mom was pregnant with my sister at the time.)
My dad has been talking about this cheese shop in Walnut, IL since last year when he went and stocked up on several varieties of cheese. He gave us a hunk of tomato basil cheddar, which was delicious, so we made plans to drive up to the shop together while I visiting earlier this month. 
Walnut, Illinois is a tiny town of 1400 so it’s very impressive that 
Here’s what I picked to try: Garden Cheddar, Blueberry Cheddar, Pesto Gouda, and their “special” Swiss, which a) was SO cheap, and b) is between a baby Swiss and a regular Swiss and the woman at the shop told us it is amazing. I figured, for $3.48, it was worth the risk. I’m looking forward to cracking a couple open this weekend. 
Oh! And for fans of the USPS, here’s Walnut’s cute post office. Looking good, 61376!
During our country drive, my dad and I stopped at the Old Salem Cemetery. Old Salem, the third oldest cemetery in Marshall County, is a small country cemetery northwest of my hometown. It’s tucked back at the end of a long dirt driveway, kind of the ultimate resting place. My great aunt and uncle are buried there. 
When I was in grade school, there were rumors of eccentric high schoolers going to Old Salem to perform séances among the turn of the century graves. And stories about ghosts and odd occurrences have swirled around Old Salem for as long as I remember. 
Most of the graves are from the 1800s, sparsely placed on the land among big old trees. It’s all framed on three sides by unruly forests. It’s easy to spook yourself into thinking you see movement in the trees, or shadowy figures watching you from the woods. 
Supposedly, a young girl who died in a fire is buried at Old Salem. If you try to light a match near her grave, it will go out. I’ve never looked hard enough to find the grave and test the theory. 
Ghosthunters also report going back to their cars after visiting the cemetery and having trouble starting the engine. 
It is eerily quiet there. The silence coupled with the graves from the 1800s does make it a perfect place for ghost stories. But my dad and I didn’t experience any paranormal activity. 
Many of the graves have sunk into the earth or have sadly been damaged by vandals. (There were a bunch of beer bottles in the garbage can outside the gates, so it must still be a popular place for teenage partying.) Many of the graves are so old that the writing has been worn away. 
I wonder…is Adeline still alive or did she get buried next to her second husband? 
A sign of the times, there were a lot of children’s graves and family graves listing young children. (The lamb looks angry about this situation.) 
Sadly, the grounds aren’t cared for as much as they could be. There were a lot of branches down throughout the cemetery and the fence is falling apart. But it is still an active cemetery. The shiny new stones really stand out among the old ones here. 
When we went to leave, my old car started right away (Can you be both disappointed and grateful?) and we managed to make it back to the paved road without getting stuck in the mud. Whew!
kimberly ah 