AND THE CHOCOLATE CAME!

I think I have a Fairy Godmother!

Earlier tonight I posted "UNNECESSARY HUMANITARIAN SERVICE." My closing line was: "Someone should send chocolate." Less than two hours later the doorbell rang. Phil went to the door. No one was in sight. A car sped away, into the night.

This was on the doorstep:Inside? A handmade, chocolate apron!

This was in the pocket

Along with a note:

Mint truffles. A whole handful of them.

Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus and a Fairy Godmother, too!

Thank you, my dear Fairy Godmother.

PS You should start a chocolate delivery business. You could also sell homemade cupcakes. You should buy a truck, all decorated in frosting and sprinkles. You could make a fortune. In Utah Valley alone the sales of Prozac would diminish so much that the drug companies would send representatives out to find out what was making the women so happy. It would be you.

THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR.

Last night I sent an email to a friend of mine, saying I wished I had a Hershey bar. In less than five minutes someone rang the doorbell. It was my friend that I had just emailed, with guess what? Dove's dark chocolate to soothe my chocolate deprived life. I don't know how she had time to read my email, grab a bag of chocolate, put on her coat and drive here. Her speed was amazing! That's the kind of friend she is. She sees a need and fills it.

After we visited and I inhaled the chocolate she went home and sent me an email. The subject line was, "I wish I could sing." The body of the email said:

"I want to be happy

But I won't be happy

'Til I make you happy too.

"Life's really worth living

When we are mirth giving

Why can't I give some to you?

"When skies are gray

And you say you are blue

I'll send the sun smiling through

"I want to be happy

But I won't be happy

'Til I make you happy too."

And then she wrote:

"And I might even dance when I sang it. That would surely be good for a few chuckles."

Wasn't that a nice email to send? That's what friends are for. For loving you, even in your unreasonable chocolate cravings and for bringing you goodies. For being there with advice, friendship, listening ears, laughter, tears, and myriad other reasons. For being happy if you are happy and for being sad if you are sad.

I have had so many lovely comments, offering love and support for my daughter-in-law and for me, on my blog in the last few days. So many emails too.

I've had lunch with friends. I've received my first email from someone I treasure but have never met. Another friend took me to lunch and then we went back to her house to talk--she gave me Dove's dark chocolate too--maybe it's a hostile takeover by the Dove's people, infiltrating our lives with sweet goodness. This friend sends me e-cards for every occasion and for no reason at all. She brings me gifts, again for no reason. She asks for prayers for her loved ones and prays for mine. All my friends do that.

Another friend called today to tell me her daughter was asked to Prom. How sweet is that, to want to share such fun news with me?

Another friend I see seldom but when we are together it's like time has stood still. Years ago we met one evening because we had news to share. Shocking news that was going to change each of our lives. We both sat there with open mouths, disbelieving. We've been through a lot together.

I love all my friends, the ones who come in and out of my life, being close and then not so close and then being close again. Filling my needs, giving to me in all kinds of ways. I think they listen when the Spirit speaks and they act. I am filled with their love and friendship and kindness. Thank you, to all my friends, my old and new ones, everywhere.

And for the Dove's dark chocolate.

GRANDPA DANIELS AND THE CHOCOLATES

~Parts of this are "somewhat invented" but the chocolates and Grandpa are as true today as they were all those years ago.~

"Aah." Grandpa sank into the couch.

"Get the box of candy for Grandpa, will you?" Mom said.

I drug my feet into the kitchen. I knew what was in the candy box. Two chocolates. Both had been squished. A white nougat, no one liked those, and a mystery brown one that had been squished so long ago that it was petrified. I wasn't the only guilty one but I was the only one that was home.

"Here, Mom," I handed the box to her as nonchalantly as possible. Grandpa patted the spot next to him.

Mom shook the box. Empty wrappers, rustling and two thunks. I had that sound memorized. Every almost-empty candy box in the history of my life sounded just like that.

"Hum," she said as she peered inside, poking the petrified candy, "Maybe we need a new box." She looked at me and raised one eyebrow. I sank into the cushions behind Grandpa.

I listened. There it was, the faint screech of the fruit room door. I had searched the fruit room dozens of times. There wasn't any candy in there, but here she came, working the ribbon off a fresh box of chocolates.

"Here we go," Mom wadded the cellophane into a ball. She opened the box and handed it to Grandpa.

He brought the open box to his nose and inhaled. "Mmm, there's nothing like the smell of chocolate, is there, Sis?"

"I dunno, I guess so." I had never stopped to smell a box of candy, There wasn't time to smell when you were in the candy cupboard. You had to be quick. Open the box, grab one that might be promising, shut the box and then try to remember the exact way it was sitting. Had the box been a little bit crooked? Closer to the edge or further back? There wasn't time to fuss, you had to get off the bar and out of the kitchen quick.

"Well, let's see," Grandpa never rushed. "The one with the double swirl is a raspberry creme. This one with a V is a vanilla creme."

"You can tell what's inside?"

"Sure, that's how you know what to choose. See this here? This oblong one with the two squiggly lines? That's a caramel."

Caramels were my favorites but the awful jellied ones were oblong too . Lots of oblong jellies, with a corner bit off, had been thrown in the bushes next to the front porch. Mom found a swarm of ants there one day and couldn't figure out what had attracted them. Ants obviously didn't care if they got inferior candy.

"What do the jellies look like, Grandpa?"

"Like those do you? Here you go. They have an X on top, from corner to corner."

"But Grandpa..."

He closed the box and bit into a chocolate. "Mmm, chocolate truffle. One of my favorites." He handed the box back to Mom and she took it into the kitchen. The chocolate was starting to melt. I changed hands and licked it off my fingers.

"Well, go on," Grandpa said, ruffling my hair. "I picked a good one for you."

I smiled as best I could and bit a corner off.

"Well?" he asked. "How is it?"

"Grandpa," I whispered. "I hate jellies. It's the caramels I like. That's why I asked what the jellies looked like, so I wouldn't ever pick one."

"Well, now," he whispered back. "We're in a predicament, aren't we?" He cleared his throat. "I think I'll just have another chocolate," he called to Mom. "I've got a powerful sweet tooth today."

"What about your diabetes?"

"I'll eat carrots and broccoli for dinner, I promise."

"Dad!"

"I will, I surely will."

Mom opened the box and Grandpa picked up an oblong with two squiggly lines. When she went into the kitchen he traded chocolates with me. He wrapped the jelly in his clean white handkerchief.

I bit into the caramel. "Aren't you going to eat that one?"

"Ah, Sis," he said, ruffling my hair. "I hate jellies."

"What are you two laughing at," Mom called from the kitchen.

"Nothing," we chorused together. I leaned into Grandpa's side, he put his arm around me and pulled me close. I could hear the clock ticking and an early cricket starting to chirp somewhere outside. I licked my fingers and looked up at him and smiled. He smiled back. We sat there together for a long time until Mom called me to set the table for dinner.

VALENTINE'S DAY CHOCOLATES

This is where I dashed today to pick up a little Valentine treat. "I'll be right back," I told Mr. I'll-Wait-In-The-Car.

And then I saw this line; actually it was longer than this when I got there. I called him. "I'll be at least 20 minutes. Do you have anywhere you can go?" Deseret Book is right there and Mr. Church-Bookworm loves browsing in Deseret book.

"Twenty minutes? TWENTY MINUTES?"

"It might be a half hour."

"Come back later, come tomorrow," Mr. Impatience said.

"Like tomorrow, which is VALENTINE'S DAY, is going to be less busy?"

There was grumbling on the line which meant, "Do what you want." So I waited in line and chatted with people about their particular candy choices.

If I wanted pre-packaged chocolates I could have gone to the quick check out. Five minutes tops. Look at all these beauties. And I just buy Bourdeaux. Although, if the box were for me there would be equal Bordeaux, brown sugar squares and molasses chips. This information is just in case anyone is taking note and making a list for my birthday. CoughJune7thcough.

And look at this cheerful face. It was worth the wait to be greeted by someone as cute as this. She gave me a free piece of candy and guess what? It was a Bourdeaux. The angels whispered in her ear, I'm sure of it.