Let's Talk Turkey

I am glowing with anticipation! This is one of my favorite times of the whole year! I love autumn, when the leaves change and the air grows crisp and one is drawn to the hearth, the crockpot and the down comforter. I love fall because my birthday is in the fall and I love to celebrate another year of staying alive and well. I love fall because of  our family tradition of making chili and snickerdoodles and going trick or treating together with my six foot four inch cousin dressed up in his gorilla costume and the kids laughing with sugar coated glee. And, I ADORE Thanksgiving! It is hands down my favorite holiday. I love to watch all the great cooking shows and get tips and recipes and ideas for Thanksgiving meals. I love to get in the kitchen and make good stuff, I love to eat brunch with my husband and kids and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade on television. (I dream of someday being there in person for the parade!) I like seeing happy stories on the news about people helping folks who don't have as much as they do and who enjoy sharing what they can to make sure everyone has something to be thankful for. I love getting together with my family and eating great food and giving thanks for my many, many blessings. I love the idea that on this one day, regardless of faith or creed, all Americans stop and consider how much they have to be thankful for. Oh, the joy of counting your blessings!
Now, let me tell you what I don't love. In fact, what I loathe. I ABSOLUTELY HATE that this wonderful, beautiful holiday gets overlooked and lost in the black hole of "retail hell." I detest seeing the Christmas ads come out and the stores putting Christmas merchandise out the minute Halloween passes. Throw out a few token turkey plates and napkins and call it a day. I hate that my kids haven't even eaten all their Halloween candy when the toy catalogs start flooding the mailbox. I despise when people are already putting their trees up and doing their Christmas shopping when November has barely been ushered in. Is it really necessary to drag folks away from their families on Thanksgiving night so that some people can hit the stores foaming at the mouth like rabid wolves looking for the "best deals of the season?" Don't even get me started on that one...mall marauders exemplify the worst aspects of humanity.Some stores are even staying open on Thanksgiving day now. It's criminal!  Really, what is so awful about waiting a few more days?! We're not talking about a huge chunk of time here people! Let the turkey have his day! Santa will get his time! Can't we just calm down and wait until after Thanksgiving?! I was thrilled to hear Nordstrom come out and say that this year, as in recent years, they will not be decorating for Christmas until after Thanksgiving. HALLELUJAH! One retailer who is willing to give the turkey his due! How about you? Do you love Thanksgiving and see it as a valuable and venerable tradition? If you feel like I do, send retailers a message. Save your Christmas shopping for the Christmas season, and let everyone enjoy turkey day at home with their families being thankful for all their blessings. I, for one, will be thanking God for autumn leaves, fall breezes, warm fires, cozy beds, hot chocolate with marshmallows, fuzzy slippers and folks to enjoy them with.

THANKSGIVING FOREVER, RETAIL DOMINATION NEVER!!!!

Making Do With Less

Ever been in the bathroom, "doing your business" only to discover that there are exactly 12 squares of toilet paper left on the roll and no access to another roll? Amazing what you can do with those 12 squares isn't it? Sure, you usually use at least double that, but man, how resourceful you can be when absolutely necessary. I think that kind of represents what a lot of us have been having to do for the last couple of years. With the down turn in the economy, we all have been forced to cut back or at least examine and reorder our priorities in one way or another. My husband works in a business that is very subject to the up and downs of the economy. We always have "fat" years and "lean" years. Man were the fat years fun! Indulging all your whims-dinner out at least 3 nights a week, clubs every weekend, biweekly shopping excursions at the mall, weekly salon appointments, fancy foreign vacations...what a blast! But, all good things must come to an end, right? The last couple of years we have had to cut back in different areas. Don't worry, we're not suffering- in fact, we have discovered that some of the things we used to spend our money on are not that hard to live without. Dinners at upscale restaurants, movies in the theater, fancy vacations...those things are definitely fun, but they aren't necessary. If you work at it, you can find plenty of inexpensive or even free fun stuff to do. In fact, we've discovered new happiness in the simple things in life. It's like the kid that gets a fancy toy only to play with the box. My son has made houses, cars, submarines, trains and more out of a plain cardboard box. All he did was engage his imagination. As adults, sometimes we forget to use our imagination, or we use up so much of our energy on the "daily grind" that we are simply to tired to think creatively. However, there are those that when given lemons, know how to make lemonade. The media is full of stories of folks forced into thinking outside the box to cope with the economy- 50 year olds changing careers, moms "extreme couponing," businesses cutting expenses without having to cut employees by doing away with frivolous perks and out of control expense accounts, people carpooling, folks taking "staycations." It's a matter of being resourceful and making the most of limited resources...like that last 12 squares of toilet paper. Amazing what you can do when you have to isn't it?

RESOURCEFULNESS FOREVER, GIVING UP THE GOOD STUFF NEVER!