A Year of Blogging: February 19, 2011

February 19 was Chocolate Mint Day. While I love chocolate, I really don't like chocolate mint. It's the mint part that I find unappealing. There are two exceptions. The first are those Andes mints you get at Olive Garden. Long before I stepped foot into an Olive Garden, I loved those mints. My Great-Aunt Vera, who was always more of a Grandma than an Aunt to Laura and I, bought those mints and kept them in a candy dish in the living room. The house I remember most is the sprawling ranch sitting on top of the hill in Hoosick, NY. You could see Vermont from the picture windows in her living room. The views from that house were stunning. Aunt Vera's husband, Ernest, was my Grandma Wager's brother. He died suddenly in September, 1980. I was four. My memories of Uncle Ernest are limited. I remember a tall man smoking a pipe. In contrast, my memories of Aunt Vera are endless. She is just shy of five feet tall, and full of spunk. Every time I taste one of those mints, I am transported back to my childhood. The other exception to my aversion to chocolate mint is Thin Mints. I love Thin Mints. Samoas are my favorite Girl Scout Cookie, but Thin Mints are a very close second. Erich introduced me to the idea of putting them in the freezer before you eat them. It enhances the coolness of the mint, and makes them even more irresistible. I have been on the lookout for Girl Scouts for a month. Normally, they are at the grocery stores. I haven't seen any yet, but I heard on the news at noon today that they should be out this weekend. That is one of my goals for the weekend. I have cash, now I need cookies!