BLACK FRIDAY

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving when all the shoppers hit the store.

One disgruntled letter writer in the Star Tribune last week
said;

"I deplore the trend of greedy retailers opening earlier and earlier
the day after Thanksgiving to jump-start their cash registers
at the expense of their employee's precious time with family and friends."

This year many stores opened at one minute after midnight.

Last night at midnight in Minneapolis there was a traffic jam
as cars rushed to the Eden Prairie Mall and the Albertville outlet stores.
If this trend continues, it won't be long before they are starting their Christmas sale
the day after the 4th of July.

My Mom was a shopper big time, and when she would come for Thanksgiving,
she would be up early waiting for me to take her to the Mall to do her shopping.
She was in her glory, going store to store and looking for bargains.
Trying to find the right thing for all of her chicks.
She had 2 chests at home and she would fill them up with gifts for the following Christmas.
Many years later when she was no longer able to shop. she still had enough gifts in those chests to
take care of a couple Christmas's.
I would lay every thing out and she would shop from her own things for her grand kids
with that twinkle in her eyes, while I wrapped and labeled.

I didn't get the shopping gene.
In that one way I am more like my dad .
You shop only when you positively have too.

Mom and Dad did not have much growing up,
their Christmas's were very sparse.
Because of this, Mom always made sure
there were many gifts under the tree for every one.
When we brought her gifts to our house for Christmas,
and put them under the tree,
not much room was left for ours.

Since my Mom died, I start getting a little blue at this time of year.
As much as I hate shopping
I miss those shopping trips.

But now I have another problem with shopping,
Christmas music that I use to love, now makes me sad,
it just reminds me of everyone that is no longer with us.
You can't escape it when you go into any store after Thanksgiving,

The music they play irritates me, and I can't turn the dial.