Yep... It's that time again.

You know what time I mean.  That time of the year where folks roll around in the floor over items that are most likely broken by the time they get through scrapping over them.  The time of year when despite the questionable economy, plastic is flashing around like there ain't no tomorrow, and the bills will still be in the process of being paid off five years from now.  When shouting matches get started over "stolen" parking places, and you may get pepper-sprayed while waiting in line for a video game.

Whoa!  Wait... what?  Isn't this supposed to be the season of good cheer?  Of brotherly love?  Of caring about others more than yourself?  Does that not exist anymore?

I see all these things on the news... people shooting at people and spraying them.  Punching others in the face for a $5 waffle maker.  What in the dickens is wrong with folks?  Is the world going to halt if you don't get that cotton-picking waffle maker?  For goodness sakes... make pancakes instead of waffles if you've just got that much of a hankering for something with syrup on it!

Now me... come about mid-November, I make myself scarce in town.  I get what I need for groceries about twice a month, and then get the heck out of there.  Any Christmas shopping left to be done can be done at most places via Internet; even most of the smaller mom-and-pop places have websites now.  That means while others are wrestling over the last whoop-te-do CD, I can wait for the friendly delivery driver to pull up here on the mountain and bring me mine.  Even most places have free shipping this year... so what could be better?

Some people might snub at the thought of buying on the computer rather than getting in there toe-to-toe and head-to-head with the rest of the teeming masses.  Me... well, the way I figure it... I have better things to do than bust my knuckles on somebody's head because they just yanked my favorite whassit out of my hands. 

But just to finish off with a spirit-lifter... not all in the world is chaos and disharmony.  Here on the mountain, folks still know how to treat each other.  My neighbor stopped by my work yesterday to drop off a jug of elderberry juice so I can make some jelly.  In turn, I dropped some boxes off at her house later so she can mail gifts.  We've got plans to dig up some elderberry sprouts around her place to transplant at mine... and I made her copies of a bunch of jelly recipes that she'd like to try.  And so it revolves.

Now is that so hard?  Being nice is a whole lot easier than being nasty... and don't hurt as much cause somebody pops you in the mouth.  Nope, here on the mountain we treat each other like family... and that's what living country is all about.

Until next time... cook pancakes. ;)