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.

A Dream

    This morning after Hubs left for work, I fell back asleep and had the weirdest dream. Now, I'm known for my detailed dreams. At least, it amazes my Hubs when I tell them to him.


    I was in my "grandmother's" house. I use the quotes, because it wasn't really. It was actually a house I've never seen before. Anyway, she had passed away, and I was there to clean it out, and apparently I was going to live there. I wasn't alone, either. A younger woman was with me, and a child. They were "family", but not anyone I recognized.


    The house was on a small road off the main road in whatever town it was. I had parked my truck in the middle of the road, the road was so narrow there wasn't anywhere else to park, and there were only a couple of houses on the road. Next thing I know, the girl comes in and tells me my truck is being towed. I run around trying to find my flip flops so I can go out and talk to these guys, and stop them from taking my truck.


    But I can't find my flip flops anywhere. I run outside in my bare feet. They have my truck loaded on a flatbed. I look up the road to the main street, and see it's blocked off. It's like they are closing the entrance to the road, and making you come from the other direction. For some reason they leave my truck, and go.


    The young lady and I get back to packing up the things in the house, making great headway. Now, things are blending in from my mother-in-law's passing. The "grandmother" left me tons of jewelry, and I was telling the younger woman about some diamond rings and earrings that I got all excited about, but weren't real.


    We were nearly done inside the house, and even commented about having the stained floors refinished. There was a knock at the door, and people started coming from all over. They tell me that I'm the new "Mee-maw", or head of the family. They came to pay their respects, and these were people I'd never seen before.


    The little girl was poking around and found a hidden closet, which we pried open. It hadn't been opened in so long, it was hard to work the knob. Inside we found a bunch of fancy baby outfits, like from Christenings. Some were old and some were newer. It's like after the Christenings, these outfits were given to the Mee-maw to save.


    I'm sure there were more details, but most are gone now. Like the little girl was blonde, and somehow all the stuff we got rid of was just gone. The house was pretty empty, except for some of the furniture we were keeping.


    It was a really cool house, I wish it was real. It was strange dreaming about a house I've never personally been in. I usually dream about things happening in my mom's old house. I have even dreamed that Hubs and I lived in her house.


   If anyone cares to analyze this dream, have at it. I'd love to hear what you think!