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Re: Friday Funny for Christmas, Part 2



I heard a wonderful story about fruitcake some years ago. It seems someone
gave the big Trappist abbey near Louisville an unlabeled barrel of supplies
for their kitchen. Not knowing what it was, two of the brothers set to work
on the lid, and when they got it open they were amazed to discover that it
was full of high-quality mincemeat, seasoned well with bourbon. The cooks
had no idea what to do with it, and the abbot was consulted. The problem
came up in one of their business meetings, and one of the monks said his
family had an old recipe for fruitcake using mincemeat very similar to what
had been given to them. The recipe and the rest of the necessary ingredient
were obtained, and the monks were in the fruitcake business. It was such a
success that they've been supporting themselves with fruitcake sales ever
since.

Best wishes for the weekend,

Thomas Berry, Archivist
Historical Construction Equipment Association
16623 Liberty Hi Road
Bowling Green, Ohio 43402
Phone 419-352-5616
Fax 419-352-6086
tberry@hcea.net
http://www.hcea.net



----- Original Message -----
From: "Dean DeBolt" <ddebolt@MAIL.UWF.EDU>
To: <ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU>
Sent: Friday, December 07, 2001 12:22 PM
Subject: Friday Funny for Christmas, Part 2


> One of the symbols, for many years, of the approach
> of Christmas in my household was the routine of arriving
> at home in early December, stumbling across a dark
> porch, and nearly breaking my neck by tripping over the
> annual anvil-in-a-box sitting on the sill, the arrival of the
> annual Christmas fruitcake!
>
> Yes, one of the faculty in Physics Department came up
> with the great idea of how to please all the faculty and
> staff in the department (there were only 7 or 8 altogether)
> by enrolling them in the annual Texas-Collins-Bakery-mailout
> of holiday fruitcakes.   I always said it was actually the same
> fruitcake, that once we'd given it away, it found its way back
> to the bakery.     Every so often I'd read about a shortage of
> iron or steel somewhere, and wonder where was Collins going
> to find enough tins for this Christmas.
>
> One of my favorite jokes is that there were really FOUR
> wise men but he brought fruitcake and they wouldn't let him in!
> And USA Today one year called Fruitcake the "food that
> would not die."    And at least once a year someone sends me
> the "new" internet story about the recipe for fruitcake (or some
> similar dessert) which the cook after liberally imbibing the
> rum (or liquor equivalent) turns the recipe into undecipherable
> gibberish.
>
> Still fruitcake is a symbol of the holiday season.  I've never
> gotten a fruitcake for Easter or Fourth of July (and this is
> NOT a hint) ... and I even found a website once that boasted
> the story of the world's largest fruitcake (and the lady that
> baked a fruitcake in the shape of Texas)....but thankfully
> I've forgotten those addresses.
>
> My mother reminds me frequently that she LIKES fruitcake,
> and I do too...in moderation...and in slices about the size
> of Saltine crackers.   Sadly this year the proverbial anvil
> will not arrive as our Christmas-tradition-professor passed
> away a few years ago....but Christmas memories and
> traditions preserve the legend of the fruitcake.
>
> Happy Holidays!
>
> Dean
>
>
>
> Dean DeBolt
> University Librarian
> Special Collections and West Florida Archives
> John C. Pace Library
> University of West Florida
> 11000 University Parkway
> Pensacola, FL  32514-5750
> Tele:  850-474-2213;   Fax:  850-474-3338
>
> A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!
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> Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>
>
>

A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu

Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html

Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>