No, I did not line up in the parking lot of the nearest Walmart at four o’clock in the morning. Y’all know me better than that. I have no interest $10 jeans that don’t fit or the hottest toy of the season. I have all the electronical crap I need and it’s all working right now, thank you veddy much. Er, knock on wood. Anyway, in my book, the day after Thanksgiving is a day to do *anything* but go shopping. Hiking? Let’s go. Slugging around in front of the computer? You bet! Christmas shopping? No thanks!

Except that this year, Petoskey has been calling my name. Petoskey has been calling me all fall but it is just not on my regular beaten path up and down the I75 SUV Speedway. But here we are, spending a nice long Thanksgiving weekend at Houghton Lake. I have to buy a *few* trinkety type Christmas gifts. So, why not spend Friday driving the back roads up to Petoskey and do a little shopping in the gaslight district. It’s the *perfect* place to find trinkety stuff. C’mon, it’ll be fun!

So, I packed up some turkey wraps and off we slithered, through blasts of lake-effect snow over ice-coated old county roads. Now *this* is Christmas shopping the way it’s *supposed* to be. Busy but not too crowded. All the stores were loaded up with all kinds of eye-candy. And you have to go *outside* to go from store to store. In the snow! I didn’t see anyone fight over the last <inserthotitemoftheyearhere> in the bargain basement. What I *could* see was Lake Michigan, every time I looked down Howard Street.

Did I buy anything? Naw. I saw lots of really neat trinkets and some beautiful art. Most everything cost more money than I make in a week. And I kept thinking, “What would <insertgiftrecipient> do with this? Would they like it? Would it just clutter up their living space?” I guess I just wasn’t ready to settle on Christmas gifts yet. I’m still hoping I can come up with some *useful* things and limit the trinkety clutter to a few stocking stuffer type things.

Was going to Petoskey worth it? Yes indeed! The drive was gorgeous. The stores were fun and I was inspired by a lot of the art. And people were in good spirits! After we had had enough of Petoskey, we headed up to Alanson and the GG *insisted* on stopping at the Dutch Oven Bakery and Yarn Shop. I went inside the bakery but I could not bring myself to go in the yarn shop. Not without Mouse. I’ll wait for next summer and the third annual Below the Bridge Yarn Store Boondoggle! I’m putting a lasagne together in honor of Anti-Turkey Day (that’s today!) and then I’m going out for a walk in the wind and cold. Click here for bling (or on Santa). Seeya later, KW.

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