Inspiration can often appear out of the blue, but will it take you in a new direction or help you rediscover beauty in something tried and true? Rachel finds her New Year’s spark amidst the promising pages of a seed catalog…

They came all at once. The mailbox stuffed full to the max with this year’s new seed catalogs – oh boy. For me, these seed catalogs represent the New Year better than anything else. New seeds equate to new beginnings.

I have cozy memories of snuggling with the new releases printed on recycled paper and busting at the seams with promises of a bountiful harvest. At every turn of the page, I would fantasize about convincing my mom to grow the newest ‘hot’ or ‘off the wall’ crop. I just knew that everyone at her market would want to buy Eight-Ball Zucchini and Peanut-Shell Pumpkins.

Yesterday, I caught myself announcing my recommendations again. ‘Mom, you HAVE to grow these new Pink Lemonade Blueberries.’ And even though my mom knows that the tried and true customer favorites usually sell the best, have the biggest fruit and the best disease resistance, she still takes a chance once and awhile and orders something new. She and I anxiously hope that this new crop will be awesome. Sometimes it is, and sometimes not so much, but we wait with fresh hope and excitement each time.

Along with each new year comes new adventure. Usually, I am able to embrace change for approximately 30 seconds, after which, I have a debilitating affinity to self-destruct. And there have been a lot of changes happening in my life lately, so you can imagine it can get pretty messy. For my New Year’s resolution, I am taking inspiration from the seed catalog. I am going to surround myself in comfortable choices the best I can, but celebrate the changes as well. If I neglect and fight the new, I will surely have a sad result. But, if I am earnestly involved and jump in head first, who knows, maybe I’ll have the new ‘best seller’ as a result.

So seed catalog, thank you for your unexpected inspiration. If you, reader, opt for a more traditional resolution like redecorating, learning something new, losing those extra pounds, eating local or organically, perhaps my faithful seed catalog might help you out in a different way. I do, though, have one suggestion – I think you should plant the Eight Ball Zucchini.