梅が咲くと周りが明るくなりますね
寒いんですが、空気は明るく春めいて来ています


可愛い小物が大好きで、旅行に行くたびに買い込んできました。そんな私のコレクションを見ていただけたら嬉しく思います。高価なものはありませんが、どうぞよろしくお願いします。
I have a plot at a community garden. Today, I stopped by since I was shopping nearby.
I visit about two to three times a week to water the plants and tend to them.
I had a great view of Mount Fuji.
I harvested vitamin radishes and dill.
The other day, I harvested a large amount of taro.
Vegetables grown with our own hands are delicious and give us peace of mind.
The basil I planted in the garden is still lush and green, even though it's already late November.
The basil tea I made around summer turned out to be quite good, so I thought I’d make one more batch using what will probably be the last leaves of this season. I went out to the garden to pick them.
Though it seemed a bit less vibrant than it was in midsummer, there was no sign of wilting at all.
Making basil tea is very simple: just pick the basil leaves, wash them well, and pour hot water over them.
The lovely aroma of basil fills the room, refreshing my mood.
This might be true for all herbal teas, but I think some people love them, while others might not be as fond. I’m a big fan. Today, I had some shortbread to go with it.
I simply put the stems of water spinach harvested from the field into water.
When I placed the leftover stems of water spinach in water, they started to regrow.
After placing the stems in an empty glass jar, they began to grow rapidly, and more leaves appeared.
Naturally, roots also started to grow.
The bright green color is beautiful and decorates the kitchen.
At this rate, it seems like they’ll continue to grow even more.
However, they seem to be sensitive to the cold, making it difficult for them to survive the winter.
Last year, I had some rooted water spinach, but only one plant managed to survive indoors over the winter.
Even then, it withered away after being transplanted into the soil in spring.
Autumn has fully arrived.
The unbearably hot days feel like they were just a dream.
But there are still mosquitoes around. I was bitten while gardening, so it’s important not to let our guard down.
Now, let me talk about the two main fruits we harvest from our garden: persimmons and hassaku oranges.
First, we harvested the persimmons.
Our persimmons are sweet.
They’re small, though.
The hassaku oranges are still green.
The hassaku tree is bearing a lot of fruit, so we're looking forward to the harvest.
Birds peck at the persimmons, but they don’t bother with the hassaku—maybe because it's too sour for them.
The chrysanthemum I bought at a local agricultural cooperative over ten years ago has steadily multiplied.
When I first bought it, there was only one small plant, but over time it kept growing, and now I have about three large pots full of it.
I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve neglected it and haven’t tended to it at all, yet it blooms every autumn.
Now that I’ve retired at 70, I’d like to care for it more attentively. I had no time to give it any attention before, but from now on, although I’ll continue working a bit, I’ll be able to go at my own pace, allowing time for gardening.
Hopefully, I won’t end up over-caring for it and accidentally making it wilt!"