Green bean casserole is one of those treats we save for Thanksgiving.  We might have turkey and stuffing other times of the year, but that green bean casserole is the much-anticipated dish we save for Thanksgiving. Then, we develop our plan for Black Friday as carefully as carefully as a general planning a major battle and in about as much detail.

Of course, you don’t have to wait.  Amazon has daily deals leading up to Black Friday and some of them are really great deals.  (UPDATE  –   Holiday Deals are over, but Amazon has lots of other great products at great prices)

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays — I’m not sure why.  I think it’s the family all being together and the thought of Christmas around the corner.  We spend all day cooking and enjoy lingering around the table savoring the fruits of our labors.  Now, Thanksgiving almost gets lost in the preparations for Christmas, starting with Black Friday.

Planning our Black Friday shopping trip is also something we do while waiting — between basting the turkey and making side dishes.  Everyone has a job in preparing for and accomplishing our Black Friday shopping trip.  We share sections of advertising; each person making a list of things they want.  Someone is charged with gathering everyone’s list  and categorizing purchases by store. It’s a little easier now, since my mother died 2 years ago.  Now it’s just me and my daughters.  When Mom was alive we’d take her with us. My sister and her 3 kids would meet us at the first stop

Depending on how many different stores we plan to visit, we may either go together or split up so we get there early — while the best deals are still available.  We normally leave about 4 in the morning, although this year, I guess, we’ll have to start earlier since the stores open at midnight.

Arriving at the first store, someone is charged with standing in line, while the rest of us gather items required from that store.  When we get everything together, the line person is near the front.  See what I mean, it takes careful planning to maximize our time and get the best stuff before it’s all gone.

After the first couple of hours, we meet somewhere to get a nice breakfast.  Even though we promised we’d never eat again after the monstrous Thanksgiving dinner, we need sustenance to survive the strains of fighting the crowds.

So, what are your Thanksgiving’s like? Do you sit down with your family planning your Black Friday strategy?