Oh my darling

There are movies of the Christmas season, as listed below; there are sights of the season, like poinsettias in church, pretty lights bedecking the halls and highways and snowflakes gently falling; there are sounds of the season, such as Salvation Army bells jingling outside Kohl's and Hobby Lobby, Christmas carols in the stores and on the radio and the occasional "HO HO HO!" from someone in our house who enjoys sneaking up behind people and bellowing.

But there are also tastes of the season, and I know the season is really-and-truly here when the grocery stores stock up on lucious little clementines.

Clementines are tiny. And perfect. And delicious. Sooo sweet and juicy, especially if they've been put in the fridge for about half an hour before you plan to eat one; any longer than that and it will hurt your cold-sensitive teeth like billy-oh. They're pretty too, kind of like little Christmas ornaments themselves, with their petite size and roundyness. They're even easy to peel, which is not something you can say for every citrus fruit you've ever crossed swords with. Many people I know are walking around semi-blind in one eye from dealing with recalcitrant tangerines.

The only drawback to clementines is that they are expensive, this year selling for $7.99 for one of those adorable little wooden crates. If you can buy them without the guilt incurred by your sidelong glance at that giant $2.99 net bag of oranges, do it. You need the vitamin C.