Here's to you, Mr. Peanut.

I hope Pea always remains friendly with that lovable legume, the nut.

There is a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory at a mall near our house.  I ran into said mall today to pick up a pair of jeans that were being hemmed - big up European hem! - and it just so happens that the chocolate factory was right next door.  I gleefully went in to find a tasty snack.

You know that scene in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, when all the kids first lay eyes on the inside of the factory?  Yeah, that was me.  In reality, I kept it cool (no one likes a freak inside a candy store, it's creepy.).  But in my mind, I was swirling round and round like Maria in the opening scene of The Sound of Music.  Except, in my fantasy, I am knocking over all the treats as my arms flair about wildly.  Why?  Because it's funnier that way.

I browsed the selections... almond bark... pecan brownies... fudge... candy and nut covered apples... all were SO appealing!  None are within the realm of possibility.  You see, I have the all-too-familiar aversion to nuts.

Not an allergy, mind you, I just get wicked migraines when I eat nuts.  This affliction hit me somewhere in my teens, because I can still remember eating my mom's delicious peanut brittle in copious amounts.  I remember the lure of the beer nut.  I remember the healthy snack that is trail mix.

So, here I am, faced with a mountain of selections, most of which I cannot have.  I settled on the cranberry bark, a mixture of dark chocolate and, well, cranberries, that is sure to elicit a Pavlovian response out me me tomorrow when I have it as an afternoon snack at work.

But still, there is a whole world of treat out there that is always at my fingertips but too far to grasp.

I may not know what I want my Pea to become, but I hope she remains friendly with that lovable legume, the nut.

P.S. - Who knew Mr. Peanut was a WWII veteran?  Even more reason to show him the respect he deserves.