Hazelnut Love

    My fondest memories of Thanksgiving are of traveling upstate to my Grandmother's house for the holiday. Every year, she would set out a bowl of mixed nuts. I don't remember at what point I started eating them, but it was probably when I was old enough to use a nutcracker without hurting myself.


   Early on, I zeroed in on the hazelnuts, or filberts, as grandma insisted they be called. I ate all of the different kinds of nuts, I liked the almonds and the pecans, but wasn't fond of the walnuts. I also remember liking the brazil nuts, but they were too hard to crack open, so I usually passed on those.


   But the hazelnuts, oh the hazelnuts! She quickly noticed that they were the first to disappear out of her nut bowl. And every year after that, I would receive a bag of hazelnuts from her for Christmas. I always looked forward to that. After she passed away, I didn't get any more bags, sometimes I would buy them myself.


    So the other day, when Hubs called me from Adams Fairacre Farms, where he had stopped to pick up some of his newest obsession, Fire Balls. He asked me if there was anything I wanted or needed while he was there. I told him no, all I needed was him. He laughed and we hung up.


    Imagine my delight as I opened his lunch cooler when he got home, and found that he had bought me some hazelnuts!! He knows that I adore them, and he isn't at all fond of them. I was totally surprised at his thoughtfulness. Is it any wonder that we've been together for 25(and a half) years? Our wedding anniversary is the 17th, this coming Tuesday. I can't wait to see what surprises he has in store for me. Even if there aren't any, I won't be disappointed. Just having him in my life is reward enough for me. I am thankful every single day.