The Caloric Hazards of Furlough

Being on missionary furlough provides joy in many realms -- social, spiritual, intellectual and physical. And that would include, of course, favorite indulgences such as the new homemade-type cookies which I encountered at McDonald's across Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, and North Carolina. Cracker Barrel Restaurants in the same states carry chocolate-covered mint candies in their country stores. Oh yum.

Then there's the Bit of Honey chewy treats at the gas station shops where they also have Grandma's Peanut Butter Cookies not to mention Snowballs - you know, the pink coconut marshmallowy layer over chocolate cake. Now there's a comfort food from childhood. Yes, the culinary joys of being in the homeland are immense.


But then excess baggage becomes an issue. . . and that, my dear friends, is considerably less fun than packing it on.

Ask me how I know.