My husband loves a particular kind of candy, known collectively as applets and cotlets. They are chewy, made respectively with (I assume) apples and apricots. I never liked them much, because if they don’t contain chocolate I can’t see the point, but he buys them at every opportunity. We have noted over the years that they are, even when nowhere else, available in the Seattle airport.

Fast forward to a moment in time when, killing time before my cancer surgery, we drove up into the mountains outside of Seattle. We drove through Leavenworth, noted the twenty-dollar parking fees and turned up our noses. We kept going, and ten miles later found ourselves on the outskirts of Cashmere, Washington, surrounded by fruit orchards. As I write this it is late August, so the fruit harvest time is imminent.

As I studied my google Maps directions on getting to Cashmere, I noted that we were instructed to turn right on Cotlet Way. We chuckled and agreed that the next road after that would be Applet Way. And lo and behold. . . so it was. We had found ourselves at the home base of the applet and cotlet business. Soon we arrived at the factory gift store, where we bought an inordinate amount of various candies. I also bought a t-shirt, because that’s my jam.

I even tried a (chocolate-free) lemon bar, and it was okay. . .I told my husband to be careful, because if he encourages me to try the applets and cotlets again, I might decide that I like them, and then heaven help us. He replied that he knew some good hiding places in the house, and would have no trouble keeping his stash safe.

Anyway, there is still no drug like chocolate-covered almonds.

But I digress.

I guess this little-bitty story is about serendipity. We had sought to get out of our stuffy hotel room, get our minds off of trouble, and see some things that we don’t see every day. We got the expected: the mountain passes, the beginnings of fall foliage, the burgeoning fruit orchards. . .

And also candy. Lots and lots of candy.