Small Business Saturday

CoffeeCat is awake "dark" and early on Black Friday, snuggling in my warm bed and thankful I am not out in the madness! I can hear the traffic building on the highway, but I won't be joining the crazed crowds at the malls and big box stores. Nope, CoffeeCat is snuggling deeper under the covers and thinking of . . . what else, but locally owned coffee shops!

Saturday is Small Business Saturday, promoted by American Express. CoffeeCat and MochaMutt like to latch onto this day as another opportunity to Shop Local, even (especially) if you're shopping with green money. The gifts I bought at locally owned coffee shops last year were a hit. Gift cards, mugs, freshly roasted coffee beans, and many more gifts are available, even for those who don't drink coffee.

CoffeeCat is still thankful for locally owned coffee shops, as I blogged about last year, and making plans to support them again this holiday season.

Thank you, fans, for sharing another great year with Triad Coffee Shops!

Giving Thanks

Mocha Mutt and Coffee Cat sing, bark and meow the praises of local coffee shops all the time, but at Thanksgiving, we can't help but think of all the wonderful things we have to be thankful for. For the majority of Americans, life is relatively luxurious compared to the rest of the world. Sure, we have our rough moments, our bad days, and our personal (and national) budget shortfalls. We deal with an illness or death of friends, family, or other loved ones. However, compared to how people in other parts of the world struggle daily just to survive, we have it so easy. So this Thanksgiving, consider the things you are thankful for - - and thank the people and/or the deity who make it possible for you. I've started a list - - what can you add to it?

Coffee - - an expensive luxury to many, but an obtainable, affordable part of our daily routine

Time - - Leisure time to spend with a friend at a coffee shop, or even the time to drive-thru for a custom-created drink; time to enjoy a musical or poetic performance at a local coffee shop or theater venue

Food - - while some go hungry, we have such an abundance we can eat for pleasure and special occasions, not just for basic nutrition

Service professionals - - while we can make our own food and drinks at home, it is such a luxury to have professionals who make it a pleasure to eat and drink without the drudgery of assembling ingredients, making the items, washing dishes, and cleaning up the kitchen afterwards. To food service pros everywhere - - THANK YOU!

Freedom - - of the many kinds of freedom we enjoy in this nation (including blogging) - - one of my favorites is the freedom to travel. And when I travel, of course, I find Coffee, Food, and Service Professionals to make the trip delicious. I have over 200 years' worth of free-thinkers, rebels, soldiers and outspoken patriots to thank for this freedom, so THANK YOU!!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!! What are you thankful for?