Me and the Women Who Run With the Moose not only survived Black Friday, we had a heck of a good time to boot. Nothin’ new there. Though, to be honest, my right arm is still feelin’ a little wonky. Must’ve strained it carrying all those shoppin’ bags and my purse, of course, which my sister Irene calls “the overnight bag.” Even though I try to remember to switch off, I always tend to carry the heaviest stuff with my right arm.
Gotta say, smart phones and textin’ have made things so much easier. For a casual shoppin’ trip, me and the girls tend to stick together. But all bets are off on Black Friday ‘cause a gals just gotta do what a gals gotta do. So we keep in touch, textin’ if we’re running late for our mornin’ Starbucks break, lunch at Bugaboo Creek or our afternoon pick me up (usually Dairy Queen. Though gotta say, as much as I love a Peanut Buster Parfait, I still miss Friendly’s).
Then there’s the sales alerts and updates we send each other:
“Attention shoppers, fabo sale on cashmere scarves at Macy’s! $20 each.” smiley face
“Yankee Candle, Gingerbread Maple, Yummy!” face with heart eyes, thumbs up
“Santa looks like he’s in witness protection. Where do they find these guys?” scream face, cat scream face “LOL”
“BBW!!! (that’s Bath and Body Works for the uninitiated) Buy 3 get 2 free” party hat, hands capping, party hat, heart, heart, party hat
You get the idea.
I actually didn’t buy all that much for us. We’ve kind of cut down on the gift givin’ in our family. Though, who doesn’t need another cute scarf? I mean, it takes that old winter coat and jazzes it up, right? Mostly, I had fun buying stuff for our charity this year, a women’s shelter in Bangor. Just little things: a nice shampoo or moisturizer, body lotion, some lip balm, a cute nail polish. It’s amazin’ how somethin’ so small can make you feel so good.
This time of year, it can feel like you’re on one of them motorized walkways at the airport. Eveything’s flyin’ by. Yet, even though the walkway is moving you forward, that’s just not speedy enough for you. No, you feel like you gotta keep walkin’ as fast as you can, too. Before you know it, everything but the walkway is a blur. Then it ends and you got so much momentum goin’, it’s hard to get off that darn conveyor belt gracefully. Been there. Done that.
My niece Caitlin’s big on setting intentions. I usually wait ‘til the new year, but why not now? My intention for this holiday season is to pay attention to the things that matter: spending quality time with family and friends, givin’ to those in need, bein’ kind to myself and stayin’ off that darn moving walkway. Sounds like somethin’ that would be helpful all year round, right?
That’s it for now. Catch you on the flip side!
Hear Ida Tell It: Black Friday Recap
Click here to check out Ida TV, for the latest espisode of “The View from Heah”.
Join Ida, the funniest woman in Maine, for a show plumb-chucka full of fun! Ida will crack you up with her trademark stories and down home advice. Plus, each episode features an interview with a special guest star. Watch “The View from He’ah” and enter the Pine Tree State of Mind.