Just like home... (sort of!)

So, I'm trying to keep myself busy and enjoy both the similarities and differences between the Japanese and American cultures. Plants and flowers are something that I enjoy no matter where I am and many of the flowers and plants here are very similar to those in the States. This week I bought a few trays of pansies to put in our little garden and in a planter that we have by our front door. And....if I may be cheesey for just a minute....some of you may remember that Josh sent me a card full of pressed pansies when I lived in England (well before we were dating)....to send "some North Carolina spring" to cheer me up. And then my mom reminded me the other day that she had planted lots of pansies around our house when we were getting ready for our wedding (in "honor" of the England story)...so I was feeling a bit sentimental as I planted our little Japanese garden full of pansies and since we are about to celebrate our 2nd anniversary!
Another fun reminder of home came today with the delicious smells of hot applesauce that filled our house after I made a frech batch this afternoon. It's one of those smells of autumn that always feels like home! Yum!!
I imagine that the leaves at home are in full color by now... I don't think ours will change here until mid-November. I'm hoping we can venture to the mountains for a day to enjoy the color-filled views that we've only seen in pictures so far!