Crave.

I came home from jazzercise this morning to a wonderful surprise from my husband: my current craving.

I don't understand how cravings work but I would guess that it has something to do with memory and suggestion. Case in point:

When I was growing up my dad would occasionally bring home doughnuts from the Donut Hole or Family Thrift. He usually brought home Long Johns. They were okay, but I what I really wanted were doughnut holes or glazed doughnuts or something cooler. Of course I ate the Long Johns because hey, it's still a doughnut! And that won over plain Cheerios any day.

Fast forward to a few months ago when our friends were over and we began discussing Long Johns. Some people had never heard of such a thing and I proceeded to tell them about the deliciousness of a rectangular doughnut with a light maple frosting. One person exclaimed that a Long John did not necessarily have maple frosting. I was quite flabbergasted at that statement. A Long John WAS rectangular and maple-covered! I was so adamant that I decided to look it up online to prove that I was right.

I was wrong. Apparently a Long John is bar-shaped but can have different types of frosting. And it can even be filled with gooey crap. (My wording of the latter sentence probably cues you in to how I feel about that). So that fateful night a few months ago, I learned that a Long John to me may not be the same as a Long John to someone else.

But all that discussion about said doughnut, paired with memories of childhood, caused a yearning deep in my gut for a maple-covered Long John. Insert one of the most consistent cravings of this pregnancy. Note: many of my cravings once fulfilled will fade into the background, but occasionally some will pull up and stay for awhile.

And so when I found myself down the road at Dunkin' Donuts awhile back, it was to my delight that they carry a maple-frosted regular doughnut. It may not be rectangular as to be an official Long John, but it has the taste! Yes, folks, it has the taste!

And surprisingly I have only allowed myself to go there twice even though I can get there in 3 minutes.

So today when I came home from a rough morning (including seeing a most delightful little red-headed girlie-girl toddler at the library), I busted out in tears at how thoughtful Greg was to bring home not one but TWO maple-covered doughnuts.

However cravings work in our brains and bellies, they are mighty powerful. You can have your chocolate-covered/sprinkle/regular frosting/crap-filled/krispy-kreme/nut-covered/blueberry/etc doughnut. But maple-covered or a plain, old-fashioned doughnut, for them, yes, for them I will put up a fight.

-Heather