I do find it amusing, the prior to the turn of the twentieth century, parents thought nothing of scaring the crap out of their children, as a tradition.

By the way, I must make a slight stand for fruitcake. The commercially produced ones are absolutely horrifying, but every now and then you’ll run across someone who makes a proper fruitcake (and they are almost always of English descent).

I’m no great fan of them, but the proper ones are well soaked with Brandy, and the dried fruits are not the strange, rubbery, almost neon fruits used in the commercially produced ones. They are proper dried fruits, soak in brandy (or other alcoholic concoctions) and held together with a dense, sweet cake (also lavished with booze).

Comparing the commercially produced cake ( as a joke at this stage, I feel certain) to the real thing is a bit like comparing a torte to a Twinkie.

The defense of fruitcake rests

Have a marvelous New Year!

That an important South Carolina figure on a boondoggle had sense enough to bring home a plant, and not an Argentinian woman as proof of his whereabouts, is especially notable.

There is nothing more to add. NOTHING!

Happy New Year!

Have a great New Year.

And ew, fruit cake!

Great collection of Christmas thoughts.

I’ve been trying to get around to everyone.

Happy New Year!