October was a very colorful month, and the leaves lingered into November. Today, only the stubbornest of the trees are holding onto them, and those will surely fall with the wind, the freezing temperatures, or the snow. Yes, I said snow. Mother Nature practiced yesterday with great success, and now all that remains is for the thermometer to dip a bit further and the permanent snow to fall.

Remember the contest? Marlene was the sole person to correctly guess that it would first hit 32° on October 28th (at about 4 a.m.). Some of you crazy folks chose early September dates (remember: Lake Michigan keeps us warm in the fall, cool in the spring), and several wishful guessers hoped for late in November. At this rate, snow on Thanksgiving is looking possible.

Ahh…Thanksgiving…time for our second craziest Glen Arbor tradition (the first being the Fourth of July Parade): The Pajama Party. Did you think I was going to write turkey? Nah, it’s the Friday after Thanksgiving that stalwart shoppers, insomniacs, and those who just like a good laugh come out from 5-7 a.m. in their pajamas to shop for some deals. Most businesses are open and have special savings or special treats for shoppers. You owe it to yourself to try it at least once. Folks will come up from Manistee, over from Kalkaska, and down from Elk Rapids just to check it out. So if you’re even closer, come on over! We’ll be here for you. Well, Heather will be.

We traditionally get our Holiday Catalog out to you in late November, and this year we’re going to try something different. You can view and download it online, but we’ll only mail it out on request (you can email me or call 800/424-5282). We will be sending out a reminder postcard, and I will also send along the link and the very popular discount code in another week. Ten years ago, almost all the orders were via telephone, with a few coming in via the Post Office, and just a smattering of internet orders. Today, it’s almost all internet, some phone calls, and a smattering of mailed-in orders. So we thought, why waste all that paper and effort to mail it out? Our surveys indicated you all are comfortable with browsing online, and ordering in your pajamas at your convenience. So, let’s give it a try!

Finally, we have a new seasonal coffee flavor: Chocolate Mint Mistletoe. Only, there is no actual mistletoe in the mix, just our wonderful, freshly roasted coffee, with hints of chocolate and peppermint. And, as always, no fat and no calories, but tons of great aroma and flavor. You can find it in the Holiday Coffee section of our website.

Have a terrific month, and watch for the link to the Holiday Catalog. Like Nordstrom, we don’t like to start the season too early.