Our Planet

Text : Saeko Imai

When do you feel “abundant” or rich in spirit ? Is it when you’re with family, when you dip your feet into the ocean on a hot summer day? or when you are looking at a sunset? It is to each their own.

When I feel “abundant”, it is when I am thankful for all that surrounds me. The sunshine that kisses my face, the smiles on children’s faces, the parents that support us, friends and peers that I spend time with, the vegetable and fruits that fill up my stomach, and the soil that make them. When I thank them all, my heart feels full because I am aware of all that makes me alive and that is when I feel abundant.

At our Little Earth, many of the vegetables and fruits that we sowed in the spring bore their fruits.
Here are just to name a few: kabochas, cucumbers, eggplants, okras, sweet potatoes, garlic, tomatoes, basil, shiso, rose geranium, rosemary, peppermints, german chamomile, roman chamomile, lemon balm, common mallow, lavender, juneberries, figs, melons.

As one vegetable or fruit requires so many things to be made, there lies many stories between children and aftermath of vegetables and fruits. Here are a few examples; One boy frantically made a scarecrow to prevent a crow from eating the veggies. There were fights about who gets to eat the cucumbers that were too small to eat. The melon we were patiently waiting for to grow was eaten by slugs and crow and we were so mad!. Little Planet is a place where not only humans inhibit but also a place where non-human animals and humans coexist. The everyday thing that happens here and everything that grows here is a representation of “abundance”.  Because we wanted to share the abundance with the parents, we decided to host a harvest festival.

Looking at what we had in the garden, we came up with the following menu:
・Kabocha pumpkin cookies
・Figs and satsumaimo potato poundcake
・Yamanoko Herb Blend Tea (Blackmint, spearmint, chamomille, and lemonbalm)

Since the kabocha we grew, a breed officially known as Kanda Kogiku, was sowed by M-chan, it was called “M-chan’s Kabocha”. Because it was our first time growing kabocha, we could not get the right timing of the harvest so there were a few that were completely white when we harvested and tasted so bland. We were so shocked and sad. We carefully chose the “M-chan’s Kabochas” that were successfully ripened, and made cookies out of them. They sang, “we are making kabocha cookies. We are making kabocha cookies” and made dough in a beautiful orange color, and stared deep into the oven as they were being baked. What came out were all different sizes, all unique cookies.

The fig tree that was transferred two years has created big juicy fruits. When they are not ready, they discharge white milky liquid to protect themselves. When they are nice and ready to be eaten, they are all around pink-ish. When you bite into them,
they are so sweet and you feel happy. Children wanted the figs all to themselves but they tried their hardest not to and cut them into small pieces.

Also, we dug up the satsumaimo potatoes that we planted in June. We were expecting big chunky ones but what we got was so tiny that U-kun and E-chan said, “they look like muddy mice.
Let’s go give them a bath”. They washed them so thoroughly. With these potatoes and the figs, we decided to make them into a pound cake.

When all the pastries were being made, the whole building smelled amazing. “This is making me happy”, said Y-kun, smiling. The older children picked some herbs grown in the garden, and made a potful of tea. Now all we have to do is set the table, put some flowers in the vase and wait for moms and dads!.

That day was particularly a beautiful autumn day, and the children tended the guests by handing them cookies and cakes. And with the beautiful piano tunes played by E-san Yoshii, mother of K-chan and Y-kun, we said our toasts. With Covid-19, it has been extremely difficult for communities to get together. Just the thought that we were able to feel our existence, the very sole of our “abundance”, made me feel absolutely floored and happy.

I can already feel the winter approaching. From the vibrant autumn to monotoned winter, with the temperature dramatically dropping, please enjoy your days with the abundance of heart.