Jackson Donuts: Tell me 'bout the good old days

"Grandpa, tell me 'bout the good old days / Sometimes it feels like this world's gone crazy / And Grandpa, take me back to yesterday / When the line between right and wrong / Didn't seem so hazy"

The Judds sang that song for the masses back in 1986, and the lyrics seem especially relevant today. A song about nostalgia and simpler times yet maybe with a desire to see the past through rose-colored glasses. I guess we all want to do that from time to time. I know I sure do.

That's how I felt after stopping by Jackson Donuts this week to pick up a dozen of their delicious sugary rings of joy for the office. Donuts are sugar. Simple. Uncomplicated. I don't think there is really a "bad" doughnut, but each establishment offers a slightly different experience. If you get the opportunity to try one of their warm glazed goodies, you will probably find it to be sweet but not overpoweringly so. The texture is light and melt in your mouth airy which will make it tempting to have more than just one, so sharing is definitely a good idea if you are watching your waistline.

Wait, how exactly did I end up on Memory Lane? Jackson Donuts has kolaches. On Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016, my daughter and I were driving around exploring Southeast Missouri when I decided to treat her to a doughnut. We walked in and my eyes locked in on the word "kolache." I was filled with the excitement of a child on Christmas morning. I had not eaten a kolache since before I had children. I still vividly remembered the conversation and the person who introduced me to my first one back in the early '90s. I also remember not being particularly impressed. Is it a pig in a blanket? No. No, it's not, he insisted. He didn't change my mind that day, but he did share his memories, and I reveled in his enthusiasm. There was a lot going on in the world back then and many things have changed, but all these years later kolaches simply remind me of a good friend and good times in the '90s and a lazy Saturday morning with my now college-aged kid.

What will you find when you visit Jackson Donuts? It's a small, simple, and easily accessible establishment with two locations: in Jackson at 2110 E. Jackson Boulevard and at 1131 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau. The prices are great, and service is quick and efficient. You can't go wrong with the doughnuts, but if you haven't tried a kolache now is the perfect time to grab someone special and make a memory. The world is always changing. Make sure you take time to savor the good stuff with the people who matter to you.

A kolache from Jackson Donuts is shown.Submitted by Mary Ann Castillo