As Thanksgiving closes in and the shadow of Black Friday looms large I've decided to look beyond the frenzied bargain-hunting and focus on a friendlier, more comfortable shopping event: Small Business Saturday. I'm looking forward to visiting every local business in the downtown area of my local town, Wake Forest, meeting store-keep and citizen alike, sampling their wares, perhaps finding a bauble or two to place under a tree, and generally enjoying the slower pace of small town life. Just a brief reprieve before I get beck to my own frenetic pace as we prepare for the next big day, now only a month away! Happy Thanksgiving to you, and a most merry Christmas, too.