All worn out with no place to go

How was your Thanksgiving? Mine was pretty great, actually, though quite small compared to past Thanksgivings. Our huge family has grown even bigger over the last few years or so, so it was weird having such a small gathering. All three of the dishes I made for dinner were delicious, by the way, so if any of the recipes I linked to a few posts back sound good to you, I give them all two thumbs up for flavor and ease of preparation. That said, I can't believe Thanksgiving has come and gone already! So strange. I think we're all well aware that the older we get the faster time seems to whiz by. Everything is moving so fast and the idea of Christmas being less than a month away just boggles my mind. Yikes!

So of course tomorrow is Black Friday and that scares me a little. The Paper Sparrow is not my first venture into the sunny world of retail. I've worked my fair share of retail jobs, the most relevant being a position as a customer service representative in the world of undergarments. Yes, that's right, I used to sell bras and undies, and trust me, I've seen it all (gravity, she's a cruel mistress). The store was in a small mall where a major department store happened to be located and I've seen the evils and downright horrific conditions that Black Friday can bring about. Ugh. People are nasty. I've witnessed old ladies literally trampled by much younger "ladies" desperately trying to be the first in line for the early bird sales on (dare I say "ugly") Aigner handbags. Really bad. Makes me question humanity, to be totally honest. We, as a people, are certainly good at being consumers. Common courtesy, though, not our strong suit.

Anyway, now that I'm a business owner, I'm eager to see if this particular day of the year still gives me the willies the same way it always used to. I welcome the sales, and I really don't think I'll see the same viciousness in downtown Troy that I used to see at the mall. People are too broke these days, and I think there's a whole different mentality that comes with shopping outside of the mall. In any event, I'll be there all day. If you happen to be in the area, stop in! We're featuring work by THE David P. Geurin in the rear gallery, and since this is the last TNO for 2008, his work will be up and available for sale through mid January. So pop in and have a bite to eat (we're serving sweets this time around), some hot coffee, cider or wine, and of course there will be dip...none for sale this month, though...sorry. I wish I could show you how pretty the downtown area looks at night right now. They've strung tiny white Christmas lights in all of the trees and it's so subtle and yet so incredibly effulgent. If only all holiday decorations were this classy. Perhaps the person down the street with the enormous illuminated inflatable Santa on a Harley will find themselves in Troy tomorrow night and take notice. Or not.