I’m never really in the mood for a pear. I purposely snub them in the grocery store from about September through late November in favor of organic Honeycrisp apples, red seedless grapes, and sweet strawberries. But every year without fail, the generous folks at Harry & David send me a fancy printed fall/holiday catalog with mouthwatering selections and I find myself desperately craving two or three perfectly plump Bosc pears cut into gorgeous slices that showcase their tender flesh (on a wood cutting board with a shiny knife and holiday decor in the background). Their bountiful gift baskets make it look like they can actually deliver the harvest directly to your door.
As I sift through the offerings from their promotions, the gifts get better and better. It’s like a slow roll to spending more money as you turn the pages. They throw in Stilton cheese, Moose Munch Premium Popcorn, pepper and onion relish, water crackers, sesame sticks, honey dill mustard, and caramel sauce. The pears are but a distant memory.
Chests of chocolates are shown with wine pairings! Baskets become towers. Indulgent creations, holiday assortments, charcuterie trays, gourmet snacks, and antipasto collections tempt even the most discriminating of tastebuds and Scroogey of wallet. I have to admit that Harry & David’s marketing is sort of genius. The catalog takes you through the fruit only options at the beginning and then gradually adds goodies.
By the time you’re drooling over page eleven you can’t even imagine ordering something from page four! That slow build is subliminally miraculous.
And then the negotiating begins… I COULD gift that to my Mom, AND order one for myself, right? Ok, my Dad would love page seventeen and I could do matching page twelves for holiday hostess gifts. The salsa, pancake mix, meats, seafood, dried fruit, and veggie spectacular could work as a stay in for New Year’s Eve idea! With one of the chocolate towers for dessert?
The catalog stays tucked inside my nightstand for a few days as I dream of literal sugar plums dancing on my kitchen table. And then the day after Thanksgiving, I do a bit of traditional housecleaning to make way for the possible Black Friday purchases so the beloved Harry & David catalog gets tossed. I’m already looking ahead to next year so I’m getting ready to turn the page. I could maybe still go for a pear though!
Hope your Thanksgiving was a memorable one! It was just a “regular” Thursday in Paris– which was pretty spectacular!!
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