www.roanoke.com

I just got an e-mail from my sister, who wanted to know why I have been "getting a little slack" with my blog so far this week.
Isn't it fitting that my big sister -- who used to throw things at me in the bathroom when we were teenagers -- is lighting a fire under my butt about the blog?
Well, I've been out of town for two days on one of the best assignments I've had in ages. It's a travel piece about a hotel near Charlottesville called Keswick Hall. I could go on and on about the food I had at Keswick, but I think I'll save that for when the story is about to run. That's slated for the Sunday before Valentine's Day.
Meanwhile, on to something a little more pedestrian, but just as charming: a letter from a reader about Kar's Sweet 'n' Salty snack mix.
If you're thinking about navigating away from this page now because the letter doesn't sound very interesting, you'd be wrong. Oh, so wrong.
Read on.

Now, I could attempt to summarize this gentleman's letter, but I believe you all will get so much more out of it if I just transcribe the terribly shaky handwiting here. When you read it, you may suspect that he is in marketing for Kar's. In reality, he is apparently a 93-year-old resident of the Virginia Veterans Care Center in Salem.
I don't want to share his full name out of respect for his privacy, but Eugene did include a postscript saying "Born and raised in a small coal mining town of West Virginia."
Also, in addition to a random political aside, he included with his letter three empty packages of Kar's Sweet & Salty Mix, which he had stapled together (see photo).

I expect to hang around to welcome a new Democrat to the White House -- AMEN.
No, never in my 93 moons do I remember a more pleasant surprise as when I retreived a package from a vending machine of "Kar's," an assortment of nuts, small raisins, etc. I am on my fourth package and I can happily say that I am hooked forever. I mean, nothing has been as pleasing to my palate as Kar's.
I shall broadcast my find to others and no doubt increase the line-up at the vending machine and other sources.
In honest pleasure,
Eugene

*** Added January 30: As an addendum, I'd like to note that I've found a Quaker Oatmeal flavor that offers the same sweet/salty/nutty flavor combination. It's called Raisin, Date & Walnut flavor. Check it out! It's a tasty way to get your whole grains.