Just Say No to Black (Bleak?) Friday

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Isn't this terrific news??!! Instead of enjoying a leisurely, peaceful Thanksgiving with friends and family, giving thanks, consumers can fight the parking-lot-mob-scenes and line up outside big-box stores to buy more stuff - much of it made in China. Seriously. Some stores are opening first thing Thursday morning. Others at various non-typical shopping times, such as midnight (convenient for those shoppers who like to stand in line outside for hours to score the best deals).

Rather than being able to spend a day of thanks with their families, employees get to deal with the mobs and --  I guess -- just be thankful they have jobs. Doesn't really sound in the spirit of the holiday to me.

Or you can take a entirely different approach: spend Thanksgiving with friends and family or alone, being thankful. Perhaps eating turkey and pie, maybe accompanied by a little bubbly. Reading a book. Going for walks (it's looking like we might see some sun!). Chatting. Napping. Maybe a little football - on TV or with friends outside. Even writing a letter (do we still remember how to do that?) to someone, thanking them for being in your life.

Then, in the days and weeks following Thanksgiving, you can shop at your leisure at the many locally owned independent stores ready to help you with your holiday shopping. You'll find lots of special gifts and personalized attention at these stores. And a much less frenetic atmosphere.

At Broadway Books we'd love to see you on Friday, but we're also quite happy to see you any other day of the week. We'll be closing at 5 pm on Wednesday and will be closed all day Thursday. But we'll open at 10 (maybe even 9) on Friday, when we begin our special extended hours to accommodate your holiday shopping: 10 am to 9 pm Monday through Saturday and 10 am to 7 pm on Sunday.

Our annual Holiday Book Guide is now available - if you didn't get one in your Oregonian, we've got more at the store. It's full of lots of great gift ideas, and there's a choose-your-own-discount coupon on the back

Broadway Books wishes each of you a peaceful and happy Thanksgiving - whether your meal of choice is turkey, tofurkey, or something entirely different. As for me, I have plenty to be grateful for - including all of you who have made it possible for us  to serve this wonderful community for more than two decades. And I'm grateful for fabulous friends and family and colleagues and cats and great books and a roof over my head and many other wonderful gifts, especially my loving life partner.

There's plenty of time and opportunity to get your holiday shopping done before Hannukkah and Christmas. And when you're ready, we'll be here to help. You can use our website (www.broadwaybooks.net) to browse a large selection of books -- unless it says "on our shelves now" we'll need to order it, but it usually only takes a day or two. Whatever it says, it's always wise to confirm that we have it. Just call, or select "pay in store, pick up in store" and we'll let you know when it's ready for you to come get it.

As always, we're happy to wrap your purchases for free. If you want, you can leave your items with us to be wrapped while you do other shopping, get something to eat, get your haircut or your nails done or do your banking or avail yourself of any of the myriad services available in the NE Broadway/Weidler neighborhood.

Best wishes, happy holidays, and - especially - thank you, from all of us at Broadway Books.