“Another, even more important day for you will be… when Mercury will connect to benefit Jupiter in a very friendly way. This is a day a friend may go out of his or her way for you.” — Horoscope for Gemini
I’ve been reading about something called the happiness set point. It’s thought to be partly encoded in our genes — if something good happens, your sense of happiness rises; if something bad happens, it falls.
These are just temporary fluctuations, though, and through “hedonic adaption,” the idea that we get accustomed to things, we reset back to our own usual set point.
Unexpectedly, this particular day was to swing our set points in both directions. We’d attended the funeral of a relative who, judging by those who were close to him, led a full and satisfying life. We were saddened by his passing and, afterwards, couldn’t help but think about the arc of our own lives, far from finished.
On the drive home, we’d stopped at the end of our road and found a small package tucked into our mail box. A glance at the return address and I knew it contained something special.
Packed with care, this delightful gift of green almonds and sour plums had arrived a day early, and at what turned out to be the best possible time. We opened it immediately, and felt joy in receiving another’s thoughtful gesture.
Biting into one of the almonds, we were filled with a kind of borrowed sense memory, the taste of spring and someone else’s childhood. Thank-you, Azita, you gladden our hearts and helped set right the day.
To find out more about these ephemeral spring-time treats, visit Fig & Quince, where the ever-ebullient Azita spins her tales of modern Persian cookery with infectious glee.
Diary of a Tomato 
Oh my word – what a treat! One of the reasons I love cooking and food is there’s always something I’ve never known about, or tasted. This picture of green almonds makes me so curious – what do they taste like?
You’ll have to visit Azita for her description… ;)
Your most beautiful post ever, I think! Thank you!
You’re so very kind, thanks!
Oh wow! It really was a pleasure to share this with you and I’m kind of speechless now. Your photographs are just stunning and the sentiment equally so. My sense of happiness definitely rose by this beautiful post. Soared even. Thank you!
The pleasure was all mine… ;)
Love it!
Hey Eileen, I was just thinking of you… ;)
I love this gift. It all looks amazing!
Sometimes it’s the simplest of things that mean the most, no?
Both the packaging and the content look wonderful. I have never tasted green almonds, so you got me curious.