You know , I wish I lived closer to you Christy, cuz I would love to be able to help you sort thru all of those tomato seeds...it sounds like a tomato-holics dream LOL!!

Donna...dreaming of warm garden maters

Boy Donna,

I wish you were close too! Wouldnt that be cool for us to have some gardening group to hang with. We could play poker for seeds! Plant our seedlings together, swap veggies, and make crazy recipes with our harvest. That would be so cool to have someone to hang with that has the same seed addictions that I do!

I have heard from everyone but Grovesprit. Someone told me she was sick before Christmas but I think she signed up here after Christmas. Does anyone keep in touch with her and know how she is doing?

just waiting for the last envies to arrive. Oh yeah, I recieved seeds from SouthernCharm today!

Be back soon! Christy

Ok, I have heard from everybody that I needed to hear from.

I received enwife and KamilJablo seeds today along with dirtdiggin's 3rd envelope of seeds at my request! Thanks Toni!

These are the people left that I need to recieve seeds from still:

ejmoore510
tndandelion
gallaure
strmywthr3
grovespirit
douglasls
haymay

Once I recieve everyone's seeds, I will be able to work a full 100% on the envelopes, although I have been working on some of the first envelopes that were sent in.

WOW that was quick...WA to NJ in 3 days?? That's fantastic!

Thats what I thought, and Sunday does not count so it was really like 2 days! i wish all my mail was that fast! Christy

My seeds went out today!

Joan

I can take any sort of tomatoes you have too many of now Chris. I said I didnt want cherries, and I still ain't crazy about them, but now I am in another tomato swap, so anything i get that I dont want/need I'll just trade off again. LOL.

Thanks yotetrapper for the help :)

I received seeds from HayMay

Still waiting on these

ejmoore510
tndandelion
gallaure
strmywthr3
grovespirit
douglasls

You Know Christy...poker for seeds sounds divine!! I can just picture it....sitting out in the yard with a big pitcher of iced tea with fresh home grown mint and lemon balm or lemon verbena floating in it....eating veggie salads, or tomato mayo sandwiches, playing poker for seeds....ahhhh that would be a good time!!

DOnna, I have been wanting to eat tomato, basil, and wet Mozzarella salad soooo bad! (sometimes some arugula too!) But it does not taste good with a store bought tomato. I have to wait so long! Well, if you are even by the Jersey Shore, we have a date!

Today, I got seeds from strmywthr3. It would be nice to recieve the rest by the weekend so I can start packing!
Christy

Waiting List
ejmoore510
tndandelion
gallaure
grovespirit
douglasls

Christy, I was involved in another swap and one of the participants was from France and had this website on his packages. Cover your keyboard with a towel or saran wrap before you scroll down the page.

Here is a link that might be useful: Beautiful Plates of Tomatoes from France

WOW! No doubt, cover those keyboards to keep the drool from ruining it! ROFL

Those pictures are awesome! Is it bad that I want them all now?!

Oh Yeah! Skip the growing and go straight to the eating! :D

Oh...Yum!!

Awe! Now you made my cravings even worse! Thats my favorite way to eat them, sliced ona platter, with wet mozzarella cheese sliced too, fresh basil, s & p, and the best EVOO I got! And on special days, I drizzle my aged balsamic vinagar! I have had teh same bottle for 5 years now! The bottle was almost $90! I never would of thought I would ever get something like that, but it is worth it!
And now they make balsamic glazes that taste very similar to teh expensive stuff for way cheap! The vinegar is so sweet, I can put it on Ice Cream!

Ok I have to stop! I am getting too hungry!

Ok, I have seeds in from
grovespirit (thanks for the seeds! I cant wait to grow that Italian white squash!)

douglasls
ejmoore

Waiting List

tndandelion
gallaure

almost there! I really need to put hard time on these envies, so pleaase get these seeds to me asap!~ Christy

Not rushing ya Christy, just curious if ya heard from those last 2 people yet?

Oh man...tomatoes and mozzerella....I dont know if I can hang on until Summer LOL!!
And Christy, that Balsamic sounds glorious!! Where did you get it??

HI Yote, I have not heard from them since they said they were still in over a week ago, but this is taking so long now, so I am going to have to do what I've gotta do.There is a lot of work a head with 40+ people here.

A question to ask of everyone involved with the tomato swap:

WOuld people like me to mail out the envelopes in batches? I would like to do this, but I don't want people to say "how come so and so got their seeds before me" and so on. However, if I did do so, I think it would be fair to send out the seeds in the order that they were received so people who sent their seeds in first, would get back their seeds first.
Now remember, there are a lot of envelopes, so it will still take me to the end of February to mail them all out, but if I do them in batches, I can get some out probably by the end of this week. So let me know what you guys think.

I have been packing LOTS of tomatoes to roll back into the swap myself. This has taken me a long time to do. BUt it has been giving me something to get done while I was waiting for everyone's seeds to come in. If you get a pack of seeds with no GW name on them, 98% chance they are from me. All are hand written, I also wrote lots of info for each tomato, if I had info for it. They are either on colored index cards and or labels, or on white paper that I had photocopied my handwriting this way I did not have to write out hundreds of labels. They are in plastic bags too.
Some packs may not have 12 seeds in it, but these are ONLY for the hard to find , rare seeds that I cannto get much of. Otherwise they have 12.

I have also had to spend a lot of time too, writing out and counting lists of tomato varities that people did not send in with their tomatoes or did not email to me.

SO I have been very busy ever since we started here. But I have worked on some envelopes too.

So that is an update of what I have been doing. So please let me know guys if you think I should wait and send all tomato envelopes out at once at the end of February, or send them out in batches?

Thanks guys! Christy

ps, Sunny, I got my balsamic vinegar in Philly. But you can order it from Italian specialty stores. They are worth more the older it is aged. You can get a good 15-20 year old bottle for about $40. Yummy! It is like buying a good bottle of wine. However, there are the bottles that have 200 year old balsamic, and for the size of a tiny small cruet bottle, and they cost about $250-$400 Each! WOW! If only I could taste it once!

Christy, I'm game for WHATEVER makes it easier on you. You're doing a LOT and I mean A LOT of work! Plus knowing that you are gonna have a 3yr old at the PO with you, good lord, please do what you have to do. I know how it is to have the twins with me at the PO. Ohhh look time for a story. ROFL

I knew I had to go to the PO and if I don't get there it takes me a while to actually get something mailed off. Which is irritable in itself. Anywho, I had the twins (4yr olds) with me. Well the geniuses that set up the PO have these little brochures right near the mail slots.. Yeah... While I'm quickly getting stamps out of the machine, they are steadily feeding the slot with those handy little brochures. ROFL I was so embarrassed! I knew there would be someone flying out the door to the back room any minute freakin out! Thank goodness we got out of there before that even more embarrassing moment were to arrive. ROFLMBO!!! I can't imagine having to stand there for 40sum envies to be calculated and entered into the computer. *cringes*

So anyway, moral of the story, take your time Christy. :D

Hey Christy,
Batches, waves, gushes, spurts, dribblets or one giant USPS bomb at the end- whatever works for you-you're the one doing all of the work. I just check the mailbox every day and one day I will open it to find a surprise. So thanks for doing this and do it your way!

Whatever is best for you, it'd probably be easier to get them out of your space as you finish a large eniough batch... Chris

I have no problem with batches. That is how purple acres does her swaps, first come, first sent.

Whatever works for you, Christy. Hope the tomato nightmares end soon!
:)

In batches is just fine by me - it's got to make it easier on you. And with this number of people in the swap, there has to be a wide variety of things, so it's not like the last envelope will be sent out with 52 packs of Green Zebras to one person.

Whatever way works for you, keeps you sane, and not drowning in packets of seed.

--Tina

That depends. Which batch am I in? LOL! Just kidding. You know there has to be at least one trouble maker in the bunch!

Actually, I won't WS my tomatoes until March, so anytime this month is good : )

I am also cringing at the amount of work this must be - and I'm sitting on my couch:)) As I also dread bringing the kids to the PO, and now even more frightened after that story from Florida (they sent a bunch of crabby PO workers to Broomfield, CO), whatever is best for you, works best for me.

I wish I could help.

Deb

Hi Christy,

Batches are fine with me too! We appreciate all the hard work you are doing for us! - Lisa

Batches are good--first come, first served (says SLO_Garden trying to remember how soon she got her package in). Honestly, if they arrive at the end of February they will have to be for next year. I'm going to start seed in the next week or two. However it works out is fine. It's not like I NEED anymore tomato seed (LOL!).

Batches works for me...or all at once...whatever you can do to make it easier on yourself!! I may not have any little kids at home anymore(my youngest will be 15 this month), but after raising 4 I can remember dragging all of them wherever I went....we were like a gypsy clan from hell LOL.... I really do miss having babies :( !!

Oh man, and Christy, I am so needing that tomato mozz salad now...I already told my hubby I was going to blow my Christmas money on a bottle of really nice aged balsamic....he just laughed!! I think I will go to the really Italian deli near my house and see what they have :)

Yes, batches will work, sounds good, what ever is easiest for you is fine. I am so glad you did the swap, much appreciated, Thanks Bonnie (country-gardener)

Thanks guys for the positive feedback!

Sunny, this place is a great place to buy GREAT olive oils and vinegars for reasonable prices. Some places you cant trust what they are giving you, this place you can. You can even sign up for a paper catalog.

They also have a Balsamic Vinegar sampler! Even though the bottles are only 1/4 oz each, it gives you the chance to try a 40 year old vinegar, and the sampler is only $33!

Or you can just buy a good bottle. here is the link to their vinegars, but also check out the olive oils too, you cant have one good one without the other!

Email me before you buy and I will check out what you you are considering! Oh man, I am really hungry now! Christy

Here is a link that might be useful: Zingerman's Balsamic Page

Christy, any way you decide to mail is fine with me. I've started sowing some tomatoes (by the moon) but will be sowing for the next two months :oD I refuse to burn myself out on planting seeds. And the world wasn't created in one day :)

Anyway, whichever way you decide is fine by me.

Take care

Toni

What ever is the least amount of work for you is ok with me.

Much appreciated!

Randy

Another vote for whatever works for you! :)

I agree, just do what you can and is best for you! You are the one who has to do all the work! But can't wait to see what I got!! LOL! Melinda

Thank You so much for that link Christy...I am drooling over their merchandise!!

I am going to go to the Italian Deli up the street from me and the Italian Dairy across town later this week to see if they have anything comparable....if they dont, I am going to send you an e-mail to see what you think of the bottle I am itching to buy LOL!

Thanks for doing this swap, and thanks for helping me in my quest for the perfect tomato-mozzerella salad!!(((HUGS)))

Donna :)

Howdee there

Batches works for me too. I am more of a Usps BOMB type person. I do all mailers then I send all mailers on the same day. Steve my post master loves me LOL. I have been doing these swaps alot of years and Steve has seen alot of mailers. If you have any questions about hosting email me about it and I would be happy to help you. DEEP BREATHS work best. It just seeds dear and they all will plant. I am also sure everyone will be happy no mater how you do it.

I have stressed over swaps a lot thinking "oh does that mailer have enough seed packs in it" or "did that person get what they want" or many many other thing but it all works out No mater how mad you think some one will be THEY WONT BE.

I can't even imagine what it would be like to do a swap with a baby. Wow the only think Orson and Justice ( my dogs) do are walk through the piles of seeds. But, that was before I had another way of doing it. I now devote my whole craft room to seeds while hosting a swap. Lots and lots of boxes marked with this or that for sorting.

Remember DEEP BREATHS DEAR

~Acres~

Whatever gets you through the night. I don't really think I will be planting any tomato seeds anytime soon considering I just shoveled another FOOT of snow out of my driveway today.

Thank you guys for all the help!!!!

I am going work hard and try to get a batch together to go out by the weekend. I still never heard back from the last 2 people that I have not recieved from yet, so I guess they are not sending in.
So Once I mail out the first batch, I will be starting a new thread to alert people of mail outs.
WOuld you guys like to post when you recieve your envelopes on the same thread or do you want 2 separate thread for mail out and recieving/comments?

Christy

PLEASE IDENTIFY ME!!!!

I have this wish list and it has no name or info on it. It is typed on white paper, says, "thank you so much for organizing this event. i really appreciate it!"

Abe Lincoln
akers west virgina
brads balck heart
chapman
galina
german red strawberry
green doctors
green giant
hillbilly
indian stripe
japanese balck trifle
kalmans hungarian pink
kbx
kosovo
large pink bulgarian
lucky cross
neves azorean red
nicky crain pink
olena ukranian
opalka
orange strawberry
prue
stump of the world
sungold op/sunsugar
ukrain heart
yellow submarine

IF YOU CAN INDENTIFYThank you guys! Christy

MYSTERY SOLVED!!!

Thank goodness! Well, that was not as bad as I thought it would be :)
Hopefully, that will be the worst thing that happens.

So everyone knows, yes, I will be sending out envelopes in batches according to who mailed their's in the soonest to latest.

But, do not despair if you did not send yours in early, afraid that you will only get what is left over at the end of the pile. I have actually taken the time to work a bit on all the envelopes to make sure that everyone can atleast get a few of their requests if I have them. So know that just because you are not getting your envelope back at the same time as someone else, does not mean that your loot will not be as good as the person before you! :)
YES, lots of time into this!!!!

Hope that makes some of you late-bloomers more at ease!
Christy

Oooo....is it almost time to start the Great Tomato count down??? *Bouncing Frantically in Seat*

Bump...

I cant wait I plan to start my tomatoes in a week or 2!

Kamil

Dont worry, I am still here! I have been packing tomatoes this weekend. I have some packed up already, but thought I would wait and write down all at once all of the seeds going out.
I will be sending most of them in the order recieved, however, there might be some out or order sent. I am still waiting for a few seeds to come in that are on a few people's wish lists. They were hard to find seeds, so it took me a while to locate some.

Either tonight or tomorrow , I will write out the people who I am sending tomorrow! Christy

ANy status update on this round robin?
Lisa

I got my seeds today. Thank you so much, Christy!!! I really appreciate the effort that you went to to find one of my wants. I'll grow it out and send you some seeds at the end of the season. I really am going to have to get a bigger garden!

Seed recieved today. Thanks!

Happy 2009 Garden All

Sorry Lisa, I have not checked this thread lately , but we are currently on the Updated thread called Totally Tomato Swap Envelopes sent and recieved, where I let everyone know who I am sending out and for people to post when they receive their tomatoes. So please keep posted on the new thread and NOT this one! :) Christy

Here is a link that might be useful: Current Totally Tomatoes Swap Thread