When I was a boy, back in the Stone Age when we rode dinosaurs to school, one of the things my brothers and I looked forward to was when my Mom bought fruit cocktail. That might seem odd for some of our young people because today, in our global economy, we can walk into the store and buy almost any fruit or vegetable any time we want. But back then, we were dependent upon fruit and vegetables being in season. Besides, fresh fruit (other than apples) was seen as a luxury of sorts.

That why having fruit cocktail was a such big deal. My brothers and I always looked forward to it because of the cherries. My mom would buy the big can to make sure we all had plenty but also so there would be enough cherries in the can for all three of us boys. We thought the cherries were the best part.

I thin…