It’s officially Christmas, or at least it’s the season of Christmas shopping. I’m definitely ready for the transition from Thanksgiving to Christmas, considering I’ve spent seven days eating at least one meal or snack that included some form of leftover turkey. I realized it was time to get in the Christmas spirit last Friday morning when one sister was yelling at the other through the bathroom door, "Hurry up! Some of the Pamida sales end at noon. … I was ready in 15 minutes, what’s taking you so long?"My North Dakota family members always enjoy their Luverne shopping experiences — whether it’s the Carnegie Gift Gallery, Luverne Style Shop, the Rocking Horse or Loopy’s. There’s great selection and good deals without the huge malls or angry crowds.I can’t think of many things more unpleasant than hustling through Shopko or Best Buy at dawn, but it’s how a lot of people burn off the extra gravy calories. One eager Florida shopper might not have the same enthusiasm next year. Trying to get a $29 DVD player, the 41-year-old woman was trampled in a Wal-Mart. When the crowd cleared, she was found unconscious under a DVD player that she had apparently secured for herself. On the bright side, Wal-Mart offered to hold it for her until she recovered. I haven’t heard any horror stories come out of Luverne’s "Black Friday," the big day after Thanksgiving.Ace Hardware had a great start to the day, with checkout lines reaching the back of the store.Loopy’s Dollar Store had double the sales that a normal Friday would bring.Pamida was busy throughout the day and had good sales counts, about even with last year’s totals.Grapevines has been in business just a few months, so it doesn’t have a previous Thanksgiving weekend to compare to, but it had a busy, high-sales day as well.Nationally, shoppers are expected to spend $217 billion this holiday season. Just Friday, retail sales were up 4.8 percent, which certainly helps the three-year slump retailers have seen.Locally, our retailers have been in a slump too. Last year was one of the worst for many of them. My contribution to the national $217 billion total will be a measly few hundred dollars — but all my gifts (except one) will be purchased from our Rock County merchants. That’s a part of what I consider getting in the Christmas spirit — supporting the people and businesses that support all of us throughout the year.
