1 00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:04,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you missed in History Class, A production 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio, Hello and Happy Friday. I'm Tracy V. Wilson 3 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 1: and I'm Holly Fried. We talked about nutmeg this week. 4 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:21,720 Speaker 1: We listeners also don't get to know that we had 5 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 1: to take an entire pause after recording almost ten minutes 6 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:29,000 Speaker 1: of the episode because of incredibly loud leaf flowers. Yeah, 7 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:33,480 Speaker 1: just directly outside. And then when we started back over, 8 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 1: there were some more leaf flowers that returned, which was 9 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:41,520 Speaker 1: not expected. I think I said this in version one, 10 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 1: but not in version two when we started over. In 11 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 1: my personal opinion, pumpkin spice flavored things are for October 12 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 1: live and later. And I was as soon as I 13 00:00:56,840 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: thought that, I thought, yeah, I thought, Holly is probably 14 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 1: like pumpkin spice. The moment it's available is I'm what 15 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:07,200 Speaker 1: I'm thinking is probably your What do you mean the 16 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 1: moment it's available, it's never not available? Twenty four to seven, 17 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:14,959 Speaker 1: three sixty five. I have pumpkin spice. Yeah. Do you 18 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: mean the blend? Yes? And do you also mean commercially 19 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:25,360 Speaker 1: produced products that come out in a seasonal pumpkin spice 20 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:30,680 Speaker 1: here's the good news. Yeah, some of those things come 21 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 1: out year round, and they just get pushed a lot. Then. 22 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: So if you're like me and you love pumpkin and 23 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 1: pumpkin spice everything, because I love both. Said it before 24 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 1: and I'll say it again. I'm the weirder that will 25 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:46,400 Speaker 1: eat pumpkin pure out of a can. I know that's 26 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 1: a lot of squash too. It's not all pumpkin. I 27 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 1: don't care. I'll take all of it. But like I 28 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:55,760 Speaker 1: have like subscriptions set up with certain vendors so that 29 00:01:56,280 --> 00:02:02,920 Speaker 1: I'm always getting my pumpkin pie, which includes pumpkin spice 30 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 1: coffee syrup on a quarterly shipment subscription, so I'm never 31 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 1: out of it. Okay, I will make my own pumpkin 32 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:15,080 Speaker 1: spice everything all the time. Listen. I don't wait for 33 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 1: the PSL because I can't drink it anyway anymore. Okay, 34 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:20,800 Speaker 1: I just about to segue me to another thing that 35 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 1: makes me I rate, but we'll get there. I have 36 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 1: so many feelings just because it's a little too sweet 37 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 1: for me. I can't handle that much sugar, so I 38 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:31,959 Speaker 1: make a like a sugar free version at home usually. 39 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:38,960 Speaker 1: But also do you remember this is into more pumpkin 40 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 1: than nutmeg. But several years ago, I don't know how many, 41 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 1: when someone did some chemical analysis and was like, there's 42 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:52,240 Speaker 1: no pumpkin and a pumpkin spice latte. There's not supposed 43 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:56,919 Speaker 1: to be. Hello, thank you. It's not a pumpkin latte 44 00:02:56,280 --> 00:03:02,799 Speaker 1: is spice latte. It is the spices, including the glorious nutmeg. Yeah. Yes, 45 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:07,520 Speaker 1: that makes me irate every time. Yeah, here's my one 46 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:12,400 Speaker 1: other thing, okay, Tracy V. Wilson, Yes, you left out 47 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: the most important use of nutmeg and why it is 48 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:21,519 Speaker 1: a year round spice. Please tell me cocktail garnish. Oh sure, Yeah, 49 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 1: if you're making flips, if you're making painkillers, if you're 50 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:30,239 Speaker 1: making a variety of cocktails. Yeah, have that nutmeg on 51 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 1: your back, the nutmeg on there. Yeah, that sounds great. 52 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:36,120 Speaker 1: I like to drink a lot of flips, so in 53 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 1: it goes all day every day. Yeah. We use some 54 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:48,560 Speaker 1: of the blends that often have nutmeg in there all 55 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 1: the time in our kitchen, like razalh. Nutt is a 56 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 1: frequent thing, which that is a blend that can really vary. 57 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 1: I think it means something like top of the shelf. 58 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 1: It's meant to sort of showcase the spice vendors best 59 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 1: of their product is like my understanding of how that 60 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:13,200 Speaker 1: blend works. So you can make it yourself with lots 61 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 1: of different spices. You can buy one from a specific 62 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 1: spice shop that might be very different. But one of 63 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 1: the things that is often in it is nutmeg, and 64 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:24,080 Speaker 1: that is frequently in use at our house because I 65 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:30,600 Speaker 1: love eggnog so so much, and because those sugar cookies 66 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 1: in our family have nutmeg in the in the flavoring nutmeg, 67 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:42,520 Speaker 1: just straight nutmeg without other flavors also in it has 68 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:48,239 Speaker 1: always just felt like a very Christmasy specifically flavor to me. Gotcha. 69 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 1: And as I was researching this and I realized how 70 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 1: many other things also have nutmeg in it, like sauce. 71 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:59,160 Speaker 1: A lot of sausages are seasoned with nutmeg, I was like, Oh, 72 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:01,920 Speaker 1: I'm just I'm having a lot more year round nutmeg 73 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 1: than I ever realized, because the things in the autumn 74 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:07,760 Speaker 1: and winter are the ones that are maybe the most 75 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:12,160 Speaker 1: nutmeg forward of all of them. I do love all 76 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:15,919 Speaker 1: of those things. They are really delicious. Something that I 77 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:20,880 Speaker 1: stumbled onto after having written the episode that I didn't 78 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:23,839 Speaker 1: I'd already sent you that line. Don't even know why 79 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 1: I found this after the fact I had moved on 80 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:29,040 Speaker 1: to another topic, but it is one of my old favorite, 81 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 1: uh one of my old favorite topics that we've card 82 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:36,359 Speaker 1: on the show, which is Hildegarde of Bingen, who I 83 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 1: just have a big fondness for. She apparently believed that 84 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:45,280 Speaker 1: nutmeg had quote a great warmth and a good temperament 85 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:48,680 Speaker 1: in its strength. If a person eats nutmeg, it opens 86 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:52,520 Speaker 1: the heart and purifies the senses and brings a good disposition. 87 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 1: What a lovely thing to associate with nutmeg. This is 88 00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 1: from her physica, which she talks about medicinal uses of 89 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:05,280 Speaker 1: all of these different spices and herbs and things like that, 90 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:10,440 Speaker 1: among other topics, and she talks about pulverizing equal weights 91 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:13,719 Speaker 1: of nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves and making little cakes with 92 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 1: that mixture along with fine whole wheat and water, and 93 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:20,800 Speaker 1: then said that eating these would open the heart and 94 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:24,800 Speaker 1: relieve impaired senses and make the mind more cheerful. So 95 00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:27,840 Speaker 1: various people have turned that very basic instruction into a 96 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 1: recipe that they call cookies of Joy, and all of 97 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:36,200 Speaker 1: that sounds super delicious to me, and there's a recommendation 98 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:38,800 Speaker 1: to eat it every day. I sure would eat that 99 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 1: every day. I have a question, okay about things you 100 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:46,120 Speaker 1: eat huh, because you mentioned sugar cookies are a Christmas 101 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:49,480 Speaker 1: tradition for you. Huh. Are they a special thing for 102 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 1: you for Christmas? Or do do your family make them 103 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:55,440 Speaker 1: year round? Or is there a Christmas only version. I 104 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:58,680 Speaker 1: have made them myself at other times of the year 105 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:03,720 Speaker 1: as a family recipe. They are a Christmas thing. They 106 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 1: are made at Christmas. They are decorated for Christmas with 107 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 1: usually colored sanding, sugar, and sometimes other little things, the 108 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:17,320 Speaker 1: sort of decorative elements that are always very Christmas y 109 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 1: in there doing so. My grandmother is the first I 110 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:28,760 Speaker 1: guess great grandmother, first generation of the family who's like 111 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:33,320 Speaker 1: whose sugar cookies I heard about from the family because 112 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 1: she had died before I was born, but people would 113 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:38,280 Speaker 1: talk about how thin she was able to get them 114 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:41,240 Speaker 1: in a way that other people in the family just 115 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 1: could not replicate. By the time I was born, my 116 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:49,160 Speaker 1: grandmother was making them, My mom was making them. My 117 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 1: mom is not able to do that anymore because of 118 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 1: her disabilities. My dad does them now and they are 119 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 1: super good. I look forward to them every year when 120 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 1: I have made them. For some other purpose. I have 121 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:09,120 Speaker 1: usually cut them out into different shapes because they're they're 122 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:11,880 Speaker 1: rolled and cut with cutters, and so I have cut 123 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:14,960 Speaker 1: them using different shape cookie cutters and decorated them differently 124 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:18,440 Speaker 1: for different purposes and eating them. It still felt a 125 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 1: little Christmas need to me because that association is so 126 00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:28,040 Speaker 1: strong with them. There, I'm fascinated. Yeah. Yeah, there are 127 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:31,040 Speaker 1: other sugar cookies that are like I would just either 128 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:34,880 Speaker 1: buy from a store or eat that do not have 129 00:08:34,920 --> 00:08:38,640 Speaker 1: that Christmas connotation for me. Oh, now I have more questions. 130 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:43,079 Speaker 1: Oh okay, just these may or may not be good 131 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:45,839 Speaker 1: for Behind the scenes, I'm just like, okay, how do 132 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:49,600 Speaker 1: they taste different from regular sugar cookies. Well, I've had 133 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 1: sugar cookies that have just instead of having nutmeg, have 134 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:58,720 Speaker 1: maybe had some other spice flavoring them, or maybe there's 135 00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 1: been just vanilla and nutmeg coure. Like I think just 136 00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:08,199 Speaker 1: because there's also eggnog, having a lot of nutmeg in it, 137 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:12,040 Speaker 1: just it feels like a Christmasy flavor to me in 138 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:14,439 Speaker 1: a lot of ways. I think one of the reasons 139 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:19,319 Speaker 1: that it's used in so many fall and winter traditional 140 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:22,240 Speaker 1: foods here in the US is that it can feel 141 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:26,760 Speaker 1: very warming. Oh yeah, it's a very warming flavor, and 142 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:30,160 Speaker 1: so it's comforting to have it. It goes into the blend 143 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 1: called warming spices. Yeah, that makes total sense to me. 144 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:41,440 Speaker 1: I seem to remember at one point in my life 145 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:47,360 Speaker 1: another seasonal thing for usually Thanksgiving in my family is 146 00:09:47,440 --> 00:09:50,880 Speaker 1: called per semon pudding. And if you've never had per 147 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:59,160 Speaker 1: semon putting, the texture of it is almost like pumpkin 148 00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:02,680 Speaker 1: pie fill, but there's an almost figginess to it because 149 00:10:02,720 --> 00:10:07,760 Speaker 1: of the texture of the per simmons. And I seem 150 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:12,680 Speaker 1: to remember there being a very heated argument about whether 151 00:10:12,720 --> 00:10:17,520 Speaker 1: there was supposed to be nutmeg in there because somebody 152 00:10:17,559 --> 00:10:22,120 Speaker 1: else had made it other than the ant who usually 153 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:27,040 Speaker 1: did that, and there was just a big controversy about 154 00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:32,160 Speaker 1: whether nutmeg was correct to have in there. See, as 155 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:35,719 Speaker 1: we mentioned in the episode, people have very strong feelings 156 00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:41,280 Speaker 1: yeah about yeah these things. But here's my take. Okay, 157 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:45,319 Speaker 1: there may be a way person X makes it right, 158 00:10:45,480 --> 00:10:47,840 Speaker 1: Like the way I make a cookie may not be 159 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:50,440 Speaker 1: the way someone else makes the same cookie or the 160 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:54,320 Speaker 1: cookie with the same name, But like my reaction is 161 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:56,600 Speaker 1: never to be that it's wrong, But like I want 162 00:10:56,600 --> 00:11:00,240 Speaker 1: to try your kind too. Oh sure, yeah, I don't 163 00:11:00,280 --> 00:11:03,440 Speaker 1: know if that's just my gluttony driving the bus of like, sure, 164 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:08,480 Speaker 1: let me try all of it. Yeah. Yeah, I never 165 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:11,640 Speaker 1: understand getting mad about people not doing things the way 166 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:16,200 Speaker 1: you do them. Yeah, I have seen this phenomenon. And 167 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:18,280 Speaker 1: when you know, when it comes to me saying that 168 00:11:18,400 --> 00:11:21,520 Speaker 1: I want to have pumpkin spice flavored things in the autumn, 169 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:24,720 Speaker 1: that's just me. If you want to whenever, have it whenever. 170 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:28,600 Speaker 1: I'll also get mad at the weather if it becomes 171 00:11:28,679 --> 00:11:33,880 Speaker 1: fall and I feel like it's too warm outside to 172 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:40,079 Speaker 1: be having some kind of gigantic pumpkin spice coffee beverage 173 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:43,360 Speaker 1: because iced it's not as good to me as some 174 00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:48,680 Speaker 1: other things are good as an iced coffee. So yeah, 175 00:11:49,080 --> 00:11:51,440 Speaker 1: I as we said in the episode, I know this 176 00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:55,360 Speaker 1: is not just about holiday foods, but it's December, so 177 00:11:55,400 --> 00:12:00,240 Speaker 1: that's what I'm thinking about the most right now is 178 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:06,160 Speaker 1: coming out the week of Christmas, in which uh, probably 179 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:09,680 Speaker 1: there will be a lot of eggnog at my house, 180 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:17,440 Speaker 1: possibly also sugar cookies. It's my dad. If my dad 181 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:21,319 Speaker 1: continues to make them, because he is also getting older 182 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:24,880 Speaker 1: in years and things take more and more effort to 183 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:27,800 Speaker 1: do them as we age. Yeah, I'll probably make a 184 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:32,000 Speaker 1: lot of flips. Yeah, yeah, yeah, although lately I've been 185 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:34,880 Speaker 1: doing different things with flips, like making them spicy and 186 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:39,960 Speaker 1: putting red pepper on them instead of instead. Oh, that 187 00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:43,800 Speaker 1: sounds really interesting. It is. It's a it's really just 188 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:46,920 Speaker 1: like you're listen, I'll give out a cocktail recipe. It's 189 00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:50,120 Speaker 1: like two ounces of your brandy or your cognac, whichever 190 00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:53,800 Speaker 1: you prefer, an ounce of chili liqueur, your whole egg. 191 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 1: You can add like a half ounce of Demarara syrup 192 00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:59,680 Speaker 1: if you want. Give it a good dry shake so 193 00:12:59,679 --> 00:13:01,440 Speaker 1: the egg gets nice and frothy, and then you can 194 00:13:01,480 --> 00:13:03,800 Speaker 1: shake it with ice and pour it out, strain it out, 195 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:05,920 Speaker 1: and then we just top it with a little red 196 00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:13,680 Speaker 1: pepper flake. Yum. It's like a spicy, not quite old 197 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:17,719 Speaker 1: school Christmas y winter bevy. That's a little different, you know. 198 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:20,560 Speaker 1: I just love it. Yeah, work shopping it over here. 199 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:24,360 Speaker 1: We're always playing. We're always playing. But there are a 200 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:36,000 Speaker 1: lot of good drinks that have nutmeg on them. Talked 201 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:40,000 Speaker 1: about Christmas decor this year, Yeah, I have so many 202 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:43,280 Speaker 1: thoughts on this matter. There's so many things to talk 203 00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:48,000 Speaker 1: about because people have strong feelings about Christmas decor one. 204 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:50,360 Speaker 1: I don't care when you want to put it up. Yeah, 205 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:53,280 Speaker 1: as we've mentioned. I think we've talked about it here 206 00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 1: before because I grew up going to craft stores. Holidays 207 00:13:56,800 --> 00:13:59,840 Speaker 1: are year round to me anyway, Like I don't have 208 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:04,000 Speaker 1: weird like only after Thanksgiving, only after labor d like 209 00:14:04,160 --> 00:14:08,400 Speaker 1: whenever my house is Halloween twenty four seven, three sixty five, 210 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 1: so like I have it all the time. But Christmas. 211 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:12,800 Speaker 1: I know people that put up their Christmas trees extra 212 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:14,720 Speaker 1: early this year because they just felt like they needed 213 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:18,240 Speaker 1: some joy. None of this like up on the twenty fourth, 214 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:24,440 Speaker 1: then down in a couple of weeks. Thing, sure, and 215 00:14:24,520 --> 00:14:26,560 Speaker 1: ours has no rules. We get to it when we 216 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:28,360 Speaker 1: get to it, and it comes down when it comes down, 217 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:34,280 Speaker 1: it's fine. I definitely have a memory of my mom 218 00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:36,360 Speaker 1: one year saying that we were not going to take 219 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:40,160 Speaker 1: the Christmas tree down until we had received some gifts 220 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:44,560 Speaker 1: that another family member had promised they were sending. Listen, 221 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:48,720 Speaker 1: don't do that, because it was like May thirtieth before 222 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:52,680 Speaker 1: we took that tree down. Yeah, which is fine if 223 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:55,040 Speaker 1: you're into it, but I think she was just adamant that, 224 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:58,320 Speaker 1: like we had to have the tree until the I 225 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:02,600 Speaker 1: don't know why. Yeah, don't do that. Okay, the big 226 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:11,360 Speaker 1: very argument spawning question, uh huh, realer artificial artificial because 227 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:14,920 Speaker 1: I have an artificial because too. So Yeah. So when 228 00:15:14,920 --> 00:15:18,600 Speaker 1: I was little, for the first few years of my childhood, 229 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:23,080 Speaker 1: we did have a live tree every year, and then 230 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:27,520 Speaker 1: eventually moved to artificial, and I think part of the 231 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:30,040 Speaker 1: reason with that was just that the cleanup from the 232 00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:33,680 Speaker 1: real tree was a lot. My mom had felt like 233 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:37,560 Speaker 1: artificial trees were really ugly, and so getting to the 234 00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:41,840 Speaker 1: point of one in the late seventies early eighties that 235 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:43,760 Speaker 1: that was attractive enough, I think was part of it. 236 00:15:45,240 --> 00:15:51,280 Speaker 1: For my part, I have always had cats, and I 237 00:15:51,320 --> 00:15:57,480 Speaker 1: feel like an artificial tree can be managed a little 238 00:15:57,480 --> 00:16:00,360 Speaker 1: better for the cats. I know people probably we have 239 00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:04,560 Speaker 1: the opposite conclusion for other reasons. Another big reason, though, 240 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:07,560 Speaker 1: is that my spouse has a range of allergies to 241 00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:12,440 Speaker 1: the natural world and bringing a live tree into our 242 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:17,760 Speaker 1: house would probably aggravate some of them. So what we 243 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:20,520 Speaker 1: have is not just an artificial tree. It is a 244 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:27,400 Speaker 1: pre lit artificial pencil style tree. Because we live in 245 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:30,800 Speaker 1: a house in New England that we could afford to buy, 246 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:33,080 Speaker 1: which means it is small. There is not a lot 247 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:36,960 Speaker 1: of available floor space for a whole the whole footprint 248 00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:41,640 Speaker 1: of the base of a typically shaped tree, so it 249 00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:45,400 Speaker 1: is very narrow, which also seems to have knock on 250 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:48,320 Speaker 1: wood kept the cats from trying to climb up into it, 251 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:52,160 Speaker 1: like the branches are not really big enough to support 252 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:54,760 Speaker 1: a whole cat, and they, for the most part, have 253 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:57,480 Speaker 1: not messed with it every year since we have had 254 00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:02,000 Speaker 1: the tree and cats. Okay, my artificial because is a 255 00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:08,520 Speaker 1: little more troubling a story for some people. Okay, Oh, okay, 256 00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:10,680 Speaker 1: I'm just gonna I've written a story in my head, 257 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:14,120 Speaker 1: and I'm gonna tell you whether it was right. We'll see. Okay. 258 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:18,720 Speaker 1: So one year when I was a kid, my dad 259 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:22,399 Speaker 1: was stationed overseas. My mom insisted that we get a 260 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:24,760 Speaker 1: real tree that year. We didn't always sometimes we would 261 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:26,760 Speaker 1: have artificials, sometimes you would have a real one. There 262 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:29,480 Speaker 1: was no rhyme or reason. And we got a real 263 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:31,919 Speaker 1: one that year, and we got it home and we 264 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:35,000 Speaker 1: put it in its little stand with the water, and 265 00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:38,360 Speaker 1: we put all the decorations on it, and we even 266 00:17:38,359 --> 00:17:40,600 Speaker 1: put some gifts under it because we already had some. 267 00:17:41,840 --> 00:17:44,960 Speaker 1: And the next morning we woke up to what I'm 268 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:51,600 Speaker 1: gonna guess was millions of spiders, Yeah, everywhere, all over everything. Yeah. Yeah, 269 00:17:52,040 --> 00:17:55,440 Speaker 1: my guest was gonna be bug infestation in the tree. Yes, 270 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:58,920 Speaker 1: And I like spider's fine, but that was overwhelming and 271 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:02,520 Speaker 1: I don't really want to invite them over for Christmas. 272 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:04,800 Speaker 1: They can if they show up in my house, I 273 00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:07,919 Speaker 1: will treat them with hospitality and find them a place outside, 274 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:11,320 Speaker 1: but they're not like on the guest list. And a 275 00:18:11,359 --> 00:18:13,680 Speaker 1: lot after that, I just remember being like, I will 276 00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:17,760 Speaker 1: never have a real tree, and I haven't now the 277 00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:21,960 Speaker 1: cat thing. I'm stalling a little bit to talk about 278 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:24,320 Speaker 1: my terrible buying habits, but the cat thing. We had 279 00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:30,439 Speaker 1: a funny turn of events, which is that some years back, 280 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:38,359 Speaker 1: I don't know ten, possibly more, not much more, we 281 00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:39,919 Speaker 1: had been in our house a few years and I 282 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:43,119 Speaker 1: was like, hey, when we were in our apartment, we 283 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:45,040 Speaker 1: only had like a little the kind you would put 284 00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:47,359 Speaker 1: on like a table, like one of those little dinky 285 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:50,600 Speaker 1: two to three foot or things. Yeah, and we'd been like, 286 00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:53,400 Speaker 1: maybe we get a tree. And we got a tree 287 00:18:53,440 --> 00:18:56,119 Speaker 1: that year, and we decided that we would like test 288 00:18:56,200 --> 00:18:59,359 Speaker 1: it by just putting it out without ornaments and seeing 289 00:18:59,359 --> 00:19:03,680 Speaker 1: what happened mm hmm. And at the time we had 290 00:19:03,720 --> 00:19:05,640 Speaker 1: we have five or six at that point, we had 291 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:10,040 Speaker 1: some cats. And we went to work one day and 292 00:19:10,119 --> 00:19:14,680 Speaker 1: we came home and not only was the tree obviously trashed, 293 00:19:14,720 --> 00:19:17,680 Speaker 1: but two of the branches were in our bed. Okay. 294 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:21,560 Speaker 1: There was just like I was like, did someone break in? 295 00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:25,280 Speaker 1: Like it was so bad? Yeah, yeah, it was so bad. 296 00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:28,640 Speaker 1: And it was like, I don't understand what's taking place here. 297 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:33,240 Speaker 1: And I of course fingered the usual suspect and I 298 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:35,480 Speaker 1: was like, you are the bad cat. This is clearly 299 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:40,200 Speaker 1: your doing. But we didn't take the tree down, probably 300 00:19:40,240 --> 00:19:43,280 Speaker 1: because we were just like too lazy, m And we 301 00:19:43,359 --> 00:19:46,399 Speaker 1: went to work. The next day, we came home and 302 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:48,679 Speaker 1: there was more mayhem. And on the third day we 303 00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:52,120 Speaker 1: came home and the culprit was asleep in the trashed 304 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:55,560 Speaker 1: out tree okay, and it was not the one I thought. 305 00:19:55,720 --> 00:19:58,639 Speaker 1: It was one of the sweetest cats we've ever had, 306 00:19:58,840 --> 00:20:03,120 Speaker 1: how funny. And when I awakened him from his slumber, 307 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:06,080 Speaker 1: which he had had to thread himself through some branches 308 00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:08,680 Speaker 1: because so many were missing at that point, like he 309 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:11,280 Speaker 1: had to do acrobatic work to find a place that 310 00:20:11,320 --> 00:20:13,919 Speaker 1: would support his weight because he also was not a 311 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:17,000 Speaker 1: tiny cat, and it was not mister Burns. Don't anybody 312 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:20,119 Speaker 1: think it. It was one of our lovely Siamese. And 313 00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:22,600 Speaker 1: when I awakened him, it was one of the only 314 00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:25,280 Speaker 1: times he was ever insolent, and he looked at me like, 315 00:20:25,840 --> 00:20:28,919 Speaker 1: what are you doing? Call the manager like he was 316 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:32,280 Speaker 1: like irritated it me for being mad that he had 317 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:36,639 Speaker 1: destroyed the tree and made a clubhouse. We eventually started 318 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:39,560 Speaker 1: putting up a tree when when those cats, our Siamese 319 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:43,120 Speaker 1: were quite young, then they were only like two, and 320 00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:45,720 Speaker 1: when they hit about seven or eight, they had chilled 321 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:47,439 Speaker 1: out a little bit, and so we started putting up 322 00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:50,120 Speaker 1: a tree again. And it's been fine. Yeah, And now 323 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:53,640 Speaker 1: we just had the two boys left, and I this 324 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:58,399 Speaker 1: is where I confess to like a problem in my life. Okay, okay. 325 00:20:58,400 --> 00:20:59,960 Speaker 1: First of all, I love our Christmas tree. It's per 326 00:21:00,359 --> 00:21:03,080 Speaker 1: and it's fun and we put toys on it and 327 00:21:03,119 --> 00:21:07,520 Speaker 1: it's great. But I like other colors. And apparently in 328 00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:10,680 Speaker 1: a fugue state, which sometimes happens to me, I get 329 00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:12,879 Speaker 1: up in the morning and while I'm waiting for my 330 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:16,720 Speaker 1: coffee to be ready, I get on my phone and 331 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:19,119 Speaker 1: I do things that I'm not even aware of and 332 00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:22,520 Speaker 1: don't remember. Right, long story short, I now also have 333 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:24,400 Speaker 1: a pink tree and a black tree, and I don't 334 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:28,879 Speaker 1: know where they're gonna go. That's great. We have no 335 00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:31,280 Speaker 1: idea where there's those are gonna go. But we'll find 336 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:45,240 Speaker 1: this space somewhere. But it's we're going to have fun. Now. 337 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:47,720 Speaker 1: This brings us to the important grown up part of 338 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:52,359 Speaker 1: the discussion. I did not realize until I was working 339 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:57,240 Speaker 1: on this episode how much vehement arguing has gone on 340 00:21:57,440 --> 00:22:01,200 Speaker 1: since the sixties and continues to go on about whether 341 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:03,919 Speaker 1: it is better for the environment to have an artificial 342 00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:08,200 Speaker 1: tree or a natural tree. Both sides of the argument 343 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:14,719 Speaker 1: continue to be so completely confident that I don't know 344 00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:19,240 Speaker 1: because right, like the various parts, there's more to it. 345 00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:20,880 Speaker 1: I'm certainly not going to be able to parse out 346 00:22:20,920 --> 00:22:24,439 Speaker 1: the whole thing quickly and casually. But like, obviously, like 347 00:22:24,480 --> 00:22:27,320 Speaker 1: the idea of cutting down trees is part of what 348 00:22:27,359 --> 00:22:30,040 Speaker 1: people are like, we are destroying a natural resource. Why 349 00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:32,280 Speaker 1: would you do that? The earth needs trees. They're being 350 00:22:32,359 --> 00:22:38,160 Speaker 1: grown for that purpose though, right, And also like then 351 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:40,119 Speaker 1: you have to throw it away and it becomes a 352 00:22:40,160 --> 00:22:43,720 Speaker 1: trash thing. And yeah, there which again that there are 353 00:22:45,320 --> 00:22:47,040 Speaker 1: other things that can be done with that. A lot 354 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:49,640 Speaker 1: of places like chip it and use it for mult 355 00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:53,600 Speaker 1: or whatever. Yeah, my community has a tree pickup day 356 00:22:53,840 --> 00:22:59,120 Speaker 1: that it then mulched. Whereas you know artificial trees, people 357 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:02,440 Speaker 1: are like, well, yeah, but that is part of big industry. 358 00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:06,440 Speaker 1: It's creating you know, industrial waste and manufacture. And now 359 00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:09,040 Speaker 1: most of the trees you would get in the US 360 00:23:09,160 --> 00:23:12,400 Speaker 1: are made overseas. And not only is that like does 361 00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:15,040 Speaker 1: that mean we don't necessarily know about all the regulations 362 00:23:15,040 --> 00:23:19,159 Speaker 1: around how they're made, but also you have a pretty 363 00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:24,919 Speaker 1: significant footprint in terms of transporting those items to homes 364 00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:29,840 Speaker 1: in the US, and that is bad. Now there are 365 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:32,480 Speaker 1: still companies in the US that make artificial trees, and 366 00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 1: there are people that are like, no, but that has 367 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:37,480 Speaker 1: created a lot of jobs. Listen, there are arguments on 368 00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:42,399 Speaker 1: both sides. I just wanted to acknowledge that people argue 369 00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:46,280 Speaker 1: about it. Yeah, I the tree that we are using 370 00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:50,679 Speaker 1: we bought the year we bought this house, and we 371 00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:54,720 Speaker 1: are going to continue using it until it's no longer functional. 372 00:23:55,119 --> 00:23:58,760 Speaker 1: Like yeah, like that's how that's going to work. And 373 00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:02,840 Speaker 1: occasionally I will see arguments about whether something is really 374 00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:06,680 Speaker 1: sustainable in quotation marks that goes into something like the 375 00:24:06,840 --> 00:24:10,159 Speaker 1: amount of energy it takes to make a reusable coffee 376 00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:13,359 Speaker 1: mug versus the amount of energy it takes to make 377 00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:19,000 Speaker 1: a you know, wax lined or whatever paper coffee cup. Right, 378 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:22,520 Speaker 1: And it's like, okay, but did you factor in the 379 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:26,520 Speaker 1: fact that people are going to use that mug that 380 00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:31,240 Speaker 1: mug until they die? Right? That's the thing there. There 381 00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:35,800 Speaker 1: isn't a lot of good information on usage cases that 382 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:41,480 Speaker 1: extrapolate along like the potential lifetime of such a thing. 383 00:24:43,119 --> 00:24:45,679 Speaker 1: We had. The artificial tree that we had for a 384 00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:50,680 Speaker 1: long time was the one that I grew up with. Yeah, yeah, 385 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:53,520 Speaker 1: and we inherited it, and frankly, we finally got rid 386 00:24:53,560 --> 00:24:55,560 Speaker 1: of of it because and when I say I grew 387 00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:57,680 Speaker 1: up with that, I mean that thing was probably made 388 00:24:57,840 --> 00:25:04,080 Speaker 1: in maybe nineteen seventy. It has taken on a weird 389 00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:07,760 Speaker 1: odor m hm, like not musty, but a unique the 390 00:25:07,760 --> 00:25:11,640 Speaker 1: way plastics breaking down start to smell, and it had 391 00:25:11,640 --> 00:25:15,200 Speaker 1: started to melt in places when it was around lights 392 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:18,480 Speaker 1: that weren't even necessarily that hot. Yeah, And I was like, 393 00:25:18,760 --> 00:25:24,240 Speaker 1: safety gone, Like we have gotten you know, thirty five 394 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:31,719 Speaker 1: years out of history. I think it's okay to say goodbye. Yeah, so, yeah, 395 00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:37,200 Speaker 1: I I like the fantasy colors, is my problem? Yeah, 396 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:40,200 Speaker 1: I think that sounds very fun. I love a pig tree. 397 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:43,800 Speaker 1: I love our purple tree very much. Can we talk 398 00:25:43,840 --> 00:25:47,200 Speaker 1: briefly about the German pickle situation? Okay, you know about 399 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:51,640 Speaker 1: the pickle right, hiding the pickle in the tree ornaments, right, 400 00:25:52,080 --> 00:25:54,159 Speaker 1: which I had always heard. You know, if you go 401 00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:56,440 Speaker 1: to Epcot in the Germany pavilion, they'll sell y'all a 402 00:25:56,480 --> 00:25:59,199 Speaker 1: pickle ornaments. But I was reading a blog written by 403 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:02,320 Speaker 1: a German person who claims that is belgoney and that 404 00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:05,360 Speaker 1: if you ask anybody who is actually from Germany, they'll 405 00:26:05,359 --> 00:26:07,040 Speaker 1: be like, we don't know where this pickle thing started. 406 00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:11,159 Speaker 1: So that leads me to the question of then is 407 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:15,679 Speaker 1: it a German American thing? I don't know, which is 408 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:18,320 Speaker 1: really why I'm putting this at the end of our discussion, 409 00:26:18,359 --> 00:26:21,080 Speaker 1: because I'm putting a call out. Yeah, if you know 410 00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:24,080 Speaker 1: the history of the pickle ornaments, you have delivered on 411 00:26:24,280 --> 00:26:30,160 Speaker 1: smart orange cats, you have delivered on fabulous personal ghost stories. 412 00:26:30,640 --> 00:26:34,760 Speaker 1: Do you know a German person that knows about the 413 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:37,600 Speaker 1: pickle ornament? If you don't know what we're talking about 414 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:41,800 Speaker 1: for context, just as many glass ornaments, you will sometimes 415 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:44,439 Speaker 1: see one that looks like a pickle, and you're probably like, 416 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:46,120 Speaker 1: what is the pick allowed to do with Christmas? Although 417 00:26:46,119 --> 00:26:49,160 Speaker 1: now you can find a glass ornament of any Yeah, 418 00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:53,679 Speaker 1: here's a cheeseburger. It's a pickle. Same thing, but allegedly 419 00:26:54,440 --> 00:27:00,480 Speaker 1: in the tradition that people claim comes from Germany or 420 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:04,119 Speaker 1: possibly German Americans, like the kid that could find the 421 00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:06,679 Speaker 1: pickle ornament kind of hidden in the branches of the 422 00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:10,040 Speaker 1: tree would like get a special gift or something. And 423 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:14,760 Speaker 1: then sometimes there's the addendum of like the first adult 424 00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:17,439 Speaker 1: to spot it will have extra good fortune in the 425 00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:19,800 Speaker 1: new year to come. Like there are other things, but 426 00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:22,359 Speaker 1: that's the German pickle it just in case anybody listening 427 00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:26,600 Speaker 1: had not heard of it before. And I found this 428 00:27:26,800 --> 00:27:30,160 Speaker 1: person writing a German blog and claiming they really did 429 00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:33,040 Speaker 1: not love the German pickle story because it seemed to 430 00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:36,720 Speaker 1: them like a bunch of stuff people in the US 431 00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:42,879 Speaker 1: made up. It's not even appropriation, it's what Yeah, So 432 00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:44,880 Speaker 1: if you know the real real, if you are from 433 00:27:44,920 --> 00:27:47,840 Speaker 1: a German households, I want to know if you know 434 00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:51,520 Speaker 1: about the pickle. Yeah, if you're from a German American household. 435 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:53,560 Speaker 1: I want to know if you know about the pickles. Yeah, 436 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:56,720 Speaker 1: I just want to I just want experiential evidence of 437 00:27:56,800 --> 00:28:04,520 Speaker 1: actual human beings, right, and not catalogs as correct. Yeah, 438 00:28:04,520 --> 00:28:09,280 Speaker 1: I will say I will sometimes see discourse on whatever 439 00:28:09,440 --> 00:28:15,120 Speaker 1: app about whether this or that thing actually comes from 440 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:20,119 Speaker 1: a place, and a lot of times it's like, yeah, 441 00:28:20,240 --> 00:28:24,960 Speaker 1: that doesn't come from that place. That is something that 442 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:28,840 Speaker 1: has developed within the communities of immigrants from that place 443 00:28:29,320 --> 00:28:32,119 Speaker 1: riving in the United States, and that has its own 444 00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:37,320 Speaker 1: worth and value one hundred percent one percent, and it does. 445 00:28:37,800 --> 00:28:39,560 Speaker 1: I mean, I start to think of it in terms 446 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:43,840 Speaker 1: of like, how could this have played out, and like 447 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:48,280 Speaker 1: at a time when you know, Christmas ornaments also not 448 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:52,240 Speaker 1: cheap for a long time, and even now, like you 449 00:28:52,280 --> 00:28:55,040 Speaker 1: can buy cheapy ones, but like nice ones can be 450 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:57,840 Speaker 1: really pricey. And I could see a family being like, 451 00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:00,480 Speaker 1: this would be a fun way to add add something 452 00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:03,440 Speaker 1: special to our tree that costs next to nothing. Huh. 453 00:29:03,680 --> 00:29:05,680 Speaker 1: It will be a fun thing for an hour on 454 00:29:05,760 --> 00:29:09,160 Speaker 1: Christmas morning or Christmas Eve or whenever they do their tradition, right. 455 00:29:10,120 --> 00:29:12,600 Speaker 1: That's the other thing. One of the things that people 456 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:14,840 Speaker 1: say is the detractor is that the way that story 457 00:29:14,920 --> 00:29:17,480 Speaker 1: is told often in the US it is when the 458 00:29:17,560 --> 00:29:19,920 Speaker 1: kids wake up on Christmas morning blah blah blah. But 459 00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:22,080 Speaker 1: in Germany you don't usually do your gift thing on 460 00:29:22,160 --> 00:29:25,200 Speaker 1: Christmas morning. That's a Christmas Eve situation, and so they're like, 461 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:30,840 Speaker 1: that's your first clue that this is wrong. So again 462 00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:34,800 Speaker 1: you've delivered on the orange cats that are smart, I believe. 463 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:41,440 Speaker 1: Now now with the German pickle, we are now past Christmas. 464 00:29:41,480 --> 00:29:45,000 Speaker 1: So I hope that if you celebrate Christmas, that you 465 00:29:45,080 --> 00:29:48,880 Speaker 1: had a very beautiful Christmas that was filled with love 466 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:52,880 Speaker 1: and joy and delicious sugar cookies if you're in Tracy's 467 00:29:52,920 --> 00:29:57,080 Speaker 1: and many other families, or other delicious things, because the 468 00:29:57,120 --> 00:30:00,440 Speaker 1: best part of Christmas is feasting, in my book, and 469 00:30:00,560 --> 00:30:05,400 Speaker 1: that you feels that you've gotten some rest and relaxation 470 00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:07,600 Speaker 1: out of the deal. If you are headed into your 471 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:09,760 Speaker 1: weekend right now, I hope you get a little more 472 00:30:09,760 --> 00:30:11,680 Speaker 1: of that. And if you're not headed into your weekend, 473 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:14,480 Speaker 1: I still hope that you find some time to recharge 474 00:30:14,520 --> 00:30:16,720 Speaker 1: and that you have had great holidays, and that the 475 00:30:16,760 --> 00:30:19,880 Speaker 1: new year, which is coming up quickly, will also be good. 476 00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:23,080 Speaker 1: We will be right back here tomorrow with the classic episode, 477 00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:30,680 Speaker 1: and then up Monday with something brand new. Stuff you 478 00:30:30,720 --> 00:30:33,840 Speaker 1: Missed in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. For 479 00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:38,360 Speaker 1: more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 480 00:30:38,480 --> 00:30:42,360 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.