I suppose it's highly traditional for an American author to wax nostalgic on a holiday. Time to think of traditions that tie us to the past, that tie us to family and community. Time to put aside the cares of the world and make time for what's really important.

And I know that's happening in many, if not most houses in the land today, be they ever so humble. And in my case, things are a bit on the humble side this year. Thanksgiving dinner will come out of a box and go into the microwave. Attending dinner with me will be one of the dogs. The other dog stands guard over my women and children far away. The rest of my family is spread out all over to hell and gone. But I'll probably get together for some beers with the neighbors later on. Perhaps fortunately for many, holiday cheer can be had from a bottle or a can.

The nation's retailers might do well with a bit of cheap cheer this year. Black Friday used to mean when a retailer's books suddenly "went in the black" as profits soared in holiday shopping season. Now I think they will all be wearing black mourning clothes on Friday. Not a good year for non-essential retail.

A sense of fear or foreboding clearly grips the nation. The great consumer engine has come to a shrieking halt. Suddenly a nation used to shopping as the number one passtime realizes it's lifestyle was basically a mistake. Based on false assumptions. Uneducated and ignorant as they are, the American consumer still apparently knows more about economics than Greenspan, Paulson and Bernanke put together.

But there is a difference between poverty and simple cash-flow problems. There is a difference between being a victim of the times and being prepared for the times. There is the fear of the unknown and then there is the fear of the known.

I know many patriots look upon the economic and liberty-based future with trepidation. We stripped the nations gun stores bare before the turkey isle in the supermarket had a dent in it. Coin shops and metal retailers have had trouble maintaining inventory for months. The folks selling Berkey water filters are back-ordered. Every day, new products for sustainability hit the market. OUR retailers are doing just fine. WE are still spending. We're just spending it in all the right places. See, we stopped buying useless consumer junk a long time ago and put the money where it's gonna make a difference.

Even our lower-income patriots, maybe ESPECIALLY our lower income patriots are preparing. If we can't invest, we equip. Some of us have a lot and some of us just a little, but we're all getting ready. We know we're going to have to be self-reliant. We're not expecting government to bail us out, we're not expecting government to help us. We expect government, if anything, to continue to complicate our lives and make it difficult for us to pursue our own solutions.

Oddly enough, that's what I find myself thankful for today. I'm thankful that so many of us have woken up to the harsh reality. I'm thankful that we rapidly built up a body of knowledge on preparedness and that we share this information almost exhaustively. The really hard times haven't hit yet and we've already saved countless lives. We're preventing human suffering before it happens. Not bad for a basically disorganized movement full of people who can never seem to agree on anything else.

So Happy Thanksgiving Patriots! And when you get a chance, pass those rehydrated cranberries over. This frozen dinner is kind of dry.