A Flapjack By Any Other Name...

I've been working outside for most of the day, trying to make a dent in the yard work.  It's actually going fairly well, considering it's a large place and I'm only one person.  Still, I am woman hear me groan whinge moan curse roar.

I was clearing some major weeds along one side of the house, between my closest neighbor and me, when he came outside to chat, scaring the crap out of me because I thought he was still out of town.  He's British, and has been in England for the past three weeks or so.

[When Alan and I first moved into our house, it was such a funny thing to meet him, because really, what are the odds that two Brits would end up in this tiny little town in Oregon, let alone be neighbors up on this mountain?]

Anyway, we caught up on the news, then he smiled and said, "We brought you something.  Wait just a moment."  I keep pulling weeds until he comes back and hands me this...

My most favorite cookies of all time.  Marks & Spencer is a large chain of stores in the UK where we used to shop; it's like a department store with really good food.  Even though these delicious cookies are called Flapjacks--and go figure on that one because they're not in any way like a pancake--they taste like the most buttery, fruity, soft and chewy oatmeal cookies ever made.

I was talking to my neighbor before he and his partner left on their trip, and mentioned--just kidding really--that if they found themselves in M&S to please grab me a package of flapjacks.  How amazing that they actually did!

Just writing about these treats is making my mouth water.  I'm going to try to hold out for as long as I can because once I rip into that package, that's it, and who knows how long I'll have to wait for the next hit.  Last time I was in Edinburgh, I filled one whole side of my carry-on with several packages of these babies.  I ate some on the journey--there's a long layover in NY after all--but once I got home I managed to dole them out for ages until the last crumbs were gone.

So, a very nice surprise from an equally nice neighbor.  And a great incentive to spur me on to get the yard work done.  My reward at the end of it all?  What do you think...