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Happy Friday, Gentle Readers,

I pray this missive finds you well as you continue to digest yesterday’s goodies and, hopefully, ruminate a little more on that for which we should be thankful. True to tradition, I woke up this morning and enjoyed a sumptuous breakfast of a turkey and dressing sandwich and a slice of pumpkin pie. I figure that since I am not heading out to do battle at Black Friday sales, either in person or online, I can give myself an extra dose of tryptophan. That being said, post-holiday naps are out of the question since I have been reliably informed by Mrs. Brown that we will be decorating for Christmas today. I was raised as a staunch liturgical Episcopalian, and when I was a kid, nothing went up until the first week of Advent. Even then, it was just the Advent wreath and the nativity scene. We didn’t even mention the word tree in my house until the second week of Advent at the earliest. That said, as a smart husband, I know I am in control of very little in my house, so this evening, I will shake the spider carcasses out of the boxes of decorations and commence decking the halls. 

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Is Target wising up?

I have always been too lazy to actively boycott things. Most boycotts are of stores I don’t frequent and products I don’t buy, like Target and Bud Light. I’ve also never been into the Christmas Wars. I really don’t care that atheists and pagans don’t want to celebrate Christmas. If somebody wants to dance naked around a Yule log in December, that’s their lookout. Christmas is a Christian observance. On the other hand, it is nice to see companies figuring out that they really should not go to great lengths to alienate and offend vast sections of their customer base to score a few temporary woke points and mollify a vocal but small group of people.

The Washington Examiner notes that Target has broken with its established tradition and is, at least on the surface, shifting back to the center. “Merry Christmas” banners have been spotted in stores. The saying had been absent from the chain’s stores for several years. But it looks as if “Merry Christmas” has made a return.

Target’s website also has a link to its “Everything Christmas Shop” and is reportedly no longer selling LGBTQ-themed Christmas items, including LGTBQ nutcrackers. And yes, the jokes will write themselves with that one, but I’ll leave that to you.

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While the chain’s “Happier Holidays” ad eschews the words “Merry Christmas,” the imagery definitely sends a message.

The Examiner reached out to Target about the “Merry Christmas” signs. The paper was told that the signs were “not new.”

I have nothing against “Happy Holidays” since Thanksgiving, Hannukah, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve all fall relatively close to one another. And if someone wants to remain sullen and angry this time of year and grouch about Christianity being shoved down their throats, I don’t care. You tried shoving the alternative down people’s throats, and look what happened. As it turns out, people want to celebrate Christmas instead of fretting over pronouns and lecturing others about climate change. Feel free to forget the holiday altogether if you wish. Or go find a nice quiet spot in the forest and a Yule log. Just read up on the dangers of frostbite first. 

Oh, and Merry Christmas, about a month early. 

Wine Recommendation

Because it is officially Leftover Season.

I know it is a little late to suggest a wine for the Thanksgiving table, but there is still at least a week of turkey recipes ahead. For future reference, the standard go-to wine for turnkey is Chardonnay, but a Pinot Noir or decent Viognier are also good choices. This time around, we went with a  2023 Neil Ellis West Coast Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa.

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For the record, you can pair a Sauvignon Blanc with turkey. Hell, you can pair Boone’s Farm or MD 20/20 with turkey if that is where your taste buds lead you. I wouldn’t, but have at it if that’s your thing.

You can get out of the store with a bottle of this wine for around $15, give or take. It’s a very bright Sauvignon Blanc with the typical dryness and acidity. There are decent doses of melon, passion fruit, and citrus, with just a dash of very understated saltiness to give it some character. Some reviewers claim there is a touch of pineapple. I admit my palate is not sophisticated enough to catch the pineapple, so I will have to take the word of more worldly connoisseurs. I did detect a little cut grass, and it finishes very well. 

As I said, you could get away with pairing it up with turkey, but that will probably work out best if you live in one of the warmer climates in the country. Otherwise, enjoy a glass or two with a seafood dish, particularly some chilled shrimp. And now that it is Christmas party season, shrimp cocktails will be everywhere. 

That’s it for me. Have a great weekend, and I’ll see you next time.