A Fun Fact by Pat Simmons

 What would June, July, and August be without summer fruits? Here's something you might not know about pineapples. I didn't.

This is a reprint from an article I read on Interesting Facts:

Pineapples were once so valuable people rented them for parties

If you’re planning to throw a party, you might need to rent extra tables or chairs, perhaps even a tent or a tux. But in the 1700s, party hosts and guests looking to make a statement were in the rental market for an entirely different accessory: pineapples. And the message they were trying to send? That they were extravagantly wealthy. Prior to the 20th century, when pineapple plantations made the fruit widely available, pineapples were incredibly expensive imports to Europe (and most other places). In the 18th century, a single fruit bought in Britain could cost upwards of $8,000 in today’s money.

It's amazing the stuff I learn online. Have you ever used whole pineapples as table decorations or skipped them in your fruit salads? Although I enjoy them, recently I realized they are an acidic fruit, and I have to stay away from them. Bummer.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and have a slice or chunk of pineapples for me.

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Pat Simmons is a multi-published Christian romance author of forty-plus titles. She is a self-proclaimed genealogy sleuth passionate about researching her ancestors, then casting them in starring roles in her novels. She is a five-time recipient of the RSJ Emma Rodgers Award for Best Inspirational Romance and recipient of the 2022 Leslie Esdaile Trailblazer Award. Christmas Dinner was also an Emma Award winner for Book of the Year. Christmas Dinner and Here for You were featured in Woman’s World Magazine.

As a Christian, Pat describes the evidence of the gift of the Holy Ghost as a life-altering experience. She has converted her sofa-strapped sports fanatical husband into an amateur travel agent, untrained bodyguard, and GPS-guided chauffeur. They have a son and a daughter. Pat holds a B.S. in mass communications from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, and has worked in radio, television, and print media for over twenty years. Visit her at www.patsimmons.net.