It’s that time again: the day after Thanksgiving. Black Friday. The official start of Christmas season. The day we realize we’ve let it slide once more until we have only a month left to get everything done: the lists, the decorations, the shopping, the wrapping, figuring out how we’re going to pay for all of it.

U.S. President Calvin Coolidge — a man of few words who was fondly nicknamed “Silent Cal” — actually broke silence and spoke once about Christmas. In his signature brief style, he said:

“Christmas is not a time nor a season,
but a state of mind.”

That’s lovely. But as the pace of life has become ever more frenetic with the passing of the years, I rather prefer this one:

I have no idea who originated it, but I believe we can all relate to it. And in that spirit, I wish everyone a very safe, reasonably sane, and highly successful four-week shop-a-thon.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
11/28/25