Steve and I have been married for almost twelve and a half years. We will make that mark on November 18. But we have been together for twelve months longer than that, since May 18, 2001. I will remember those dates until my mind is completely gone. If I never remember anything else, I will remember those. Ah, love.

In all that time, all those years and months and days, we have traded almost daily morning emails. His always go something like this:

Hi Julie!

How’s my little Apple-Oat Cookie this morning?  Did you sleep well?  I slept so-so.  Sometimes when I go to bed later than my normal time, I have a hard time sleeping.  It’s like my sleep rhythm is thrown out of whack, and sound sleep does not come as easily.

Anyway, here I am, back in the office – again!  It should be the same ol’-same ol’. Well, punkin, I hope you have a great day!

I love you!

:  –  **********************************Steve

Every day. Just like the sun comes up every day. I receive this beautiful greeting from my love and it is the gift I need each morning, just like seeing the sun. It makes the day start off with the warmth of a hug…only it comes electronically.

Notice the line after the “Hi Julie!”? This was from yesterday. I was his “little apple oat cookie.” Every day for thirteen and a half years Steve has called me his little…dessert. Sometimes sweet. Sometimes savory. Sometimes with chocolate. Sometimes with fruit. Sometimes with nuts. Always dessert.

I asked him once a very long time ago why he did this. “Because that is who you are to me. Something so good that I just want to eat you up.” I would never in my most romantic thoughts have dreamed up someone like Steve. He just came into my life and made it so much better and I have never looked back. He is the dessert that came to me that I never asked for. “What? Wow! This is for me?” No trick there, only treat.

And then at the end it’s “punkin’.” He’s got so many sweet names that he calls me (and some I won’t share because they are too dear) that when I look in the mirror and just see plain old Julie, it knocks my socks off. He sees something different…and I love him for it.

The best name he ever gave me was Mrs. Stephen Burgess.

On the first of January, 2010, I decided to start keeping track of these morning-greeting-dessert-type nicknames. I have done it faithfully every day through today and will keep on doing it as long as this morning greeting goes on. He even does it when I’m traveling and email may not be available to me. He does it on Saturdays and Sundays if he has to go into his office. It is too precious to me to ever forget or take for granted. (It also makes me hungry…)
And so today I present the first of many lists in this blog. You can watch and see if it ever repeats. It rarely does, and if it does, it is usually on our anniversary. And when that date rolls around, May 18, I close my eyes and see the cake we picked out together to celebrate.

With great love to my top chef.

Here are the first three months of 2010:

• Little chocolate croissant
• Little piece of Christmas candy
• Little piece of cranberry bread
• Little piece of Christmas stollen
• Little scoop of amaretto-infused mascarpone
• Little piece of candied ginger
• Little strudel
• Little piece of Christmas fudge
• Little piece of lemon-glazed poppy seed cake
• Little scoop of chocolate souffle with whipped nougat
• Little chocolate chip cookie fairy
• Little Madeleine cookie
• Little gummi bear
• Little dollop of cherry jelly
• Little piece of Bavarian raspberry cream pie
• Little malted milk ball
• Little lemon bar
• Little scoop of butterscotch pudding
• Little sip of sweet tea
• Little glazed cruller
• Little cookie that never crumbles
• Little piece of toast with raspberry jelly on top
• Little scoop of chocolate mousse
• Little cup of hot mulled wine
• Little scoop of lemon custard
• Little dark chocolate truffle
• Little ginger snap
• Little chocolate Éclair
• Little piece of kahlua cake
• Little piece of English flapjack
• Little scoop of pomegranate granita
• Little morsel of key lime pie
• little piece of chocolate covered puffed molasses
• little piece of spice cake with crème fraiche topping
• little piece of peanut brittle
• little sneeballen
• little scoop of English Trifle
• little chocolate covered coffee bean
• little piece of brown sugar skillet cake
• Little sugar cookie
• Little lemon cupcake
• Little Toll House cookie
• Little scoop of chocolate malt
• little Chocolate Lava Cake
• little glazed Kruller
• little Raspberry Clafoutis
• little dollop of cherry jelly
• little piece of Divinity Candy
• little Crepé Suzette
• little piece of New York Crumb Cake
• little powdered sugar doughnut
• little piece of Shoo-fly pie
• little cinnamon Coffee Cake
• little chocolate Easter Bunny
• little piece of Easter candy