NO FLASHBACK TODAY

just a few things i am thankful for :)

                             

                       

           

               

1. my bk
2. my boys
3~5. mi familia
6~10. my flock
11&12. mads and e'beth
13&14. road trips and coffee

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

FLASHBACK 1967~70 (ish)

 "when god created the universe, he pulled out all the stops...first, he created all mankind...then she created shops..."
random weekday. mama loads me and lil bro in the car and into town we go. she gets her hair done...we crawl around on the floor and get a coke, in a glass bottle, for a quarter (or something insanely cheap like that). then we stop at the martinette to pick up the dry cleaning...we get a handful of chicklets for a penny. last stop? kaufman's for new clothes for somebody...i didn't care for who, i just liked going...and hugs from all the sales people.
FLASH FORWARD 1982 (ish)
every wednesday. mama's day off. gather up the empty pepsi bottles and take them to the iga...mama cashes them in and we get groceries for the week. i need a jacket for school. off we go to bashford's to pick up my varsity jacket. and my new saddle shoes. and EVERY pair of shorts or tee shirt i will need for cheerleading.
FLASH FORWARD today
bashford's is gone. kaufman's is gone. many of the places i remember going as a child or teenager are gone. maybe the owners just wanted to retire...or maybe they couldn't compete with malls and chain stores. or the internet. in their place are new small businesses. a few seem to be making it. some store fronts...and names...seem to change as fast as the weather. it breaks my heart.
friday...most everyone will be at the mall. or wal~mart. or target. or *insert big chain store here*. monday...people will sit at their computers and search out great online deals (more on cyber monday in a later post). but in between...in between is SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY. a day set aside to peruse the shelves of your local small business. maybe it's an antique store. a unique home furnishings boutique. a place to purchase great gifts and craft beers. my suggestions to you? this saturday, take a few hours and walk the brick sidewalks of lebanon, oh. grab a vera bradley bag or crabtree and evelyn lotions from oh suzanna. purchase a unique gift or home furnishing from pink hippo. check out the antiques at the broadway antique mall. grab a frozen custard at whit's. and then stop in at the paddock for a craft beer or wine. we should be shopping small businesses everyday. not just one day out of the year....

                     

                

       

         

 

ps...you say you want to start your day with a mani/pedi, spray tan, and new 'do? check out the girls at hair~n~now salon and day spa!!

FLASHBACK 1924

"when i was...a young boy...my father...took me into the city...to see a marching band..."

fun history lesson!! in the 1920's, macy's department store employed, mostly, first~generation immigrants to america. and, as proud americans, they wanted to celebrate the united states day of thanksgiving with a parade. so...in 1924, the first macy's thanksgiving day parade made it's way from 145th street, in harlem, to macy's on 34th street. employees and professional entertainers made up the procession. there were floats. there were animals. there were professional bands. and, of course, santa claus!! in 1927, the first balloon was designed by tony sarg (a marionette maker). that first balloon you ask? felix the cat. in 1929, the cast of balloons had expanded. address labels were sewn into the balloons. at the end of the parade, the balloons were released. anyone finding and returning a balloon was given a gift from macy's. this practice stopped in 1931, after a few close calls with aviators attempting to catch the balloons mid~air! the parade as gone on every thanksgiving since 1924, with the exception of a short suspension from 1942~1944 (during WWII). 
FLASH FORWARD today
the macy's thanksgiving day parade is now a staple in many homes on thanksgiving morning. it's definitely on in my house while i'm cooking and getting ready for the day. every year, new balloons are added, usually pop culture icons. most recently, paul frank's sock monkey and tim burton's balloon boy. this year you can expect to see a 2nd version of hello kitty and elf on the shelf. there will be live music by marching bands from all over the country. and some of your favorite artists will lip~synch holiday songs to get you in the spirit of the holidays. i know what you're thinking...LIP~SYNCH?!! yeah. they lip~synch. but, only because of the technical difficulties of using wireless microphones on a moving float and not because they can't really sing. although, i'm sure that's true in some cases *cough cough carly rae jepson cough cough*.
so, this thanksgiving...while your dressing your turkey and candying your yams...turn the tv to your local nbc channel...and get pumped up for the holiday!!