For 10-year-old Caleigh Hill, Black Friday was a rite of passage.

This year, for the first time, she joined her mother, grandmother and two aunts for their annual day-after-Thanksgiving shopping outing.

“We’re breaking her in,” her mom, Leigh Hill, said inside J.C. Penney at Meyerland Plaza. “She’s a shopper. She has to be. We’re a family of shoppers.”

On Thursday, they sifted through ads to plan their strategy. And they made Caleigh abide by the “code of silence” not to tell anyone what they were getting them for Christmas.

Like thousands of Houstonians, Caleigh and crew got up in the middle of the night to hit stores offering big sales on Black Friday, so named because the shopping frenzy usually puts stores’ ledgers in the black.

Big discounts were plentiful. Many retailers feel they have no choice but to offer them, as consumers feel squeezed by the worsening economy.

A Consumer Reports poll showed that about 26 percent of all consumers planned to shop Friday. That forecast is 5 percent higher than last year’s number. The bad news is that more than three-fourths of consumers polled plan to spend less this holiday season.

Earrings for Granny

Many major chains opened at 5 a.m. with doorbuster specials, while some retailers, including J.C. Penney and Kohl’s, opened an hour earlier.

A shortage of sleep didn’t slow Leigh Hill or her kin. They were upbeat, shopping the discounts of 50 percent or more.

“I’m still looking for clip-on earrings for Granny,” said Hill, an operations manager at a medical facility. Her grandmother, Mae Bell, lost her Galveston home and possessions in Hurricane Ike.

Everyone in the family brigade had Bell in mind, with the goal of replenishing her wardrobe.

“This has been a very difficult year for those of us affected by the storm,” said Hill’s mother, Galveston resident Elyshia Roth. “We’re grateful to be with family.”

After spending the day at Penney’s, Target, Circuit City, Old Navy, Wal-Mart and Bath & Body Works, Hill declared it a “very productive day,” both for shopping and bonding.

Everywhere they went they were “very aware of the sales,” she said. “Not that we’re ever extravagant, but we’re very careful of how much we’re spending this year.”

She isn’t alone.

About 57 percent of Texas shoppers plan to spend less this year, according to Deloitte’s annual holiday survey.

For the nation, the International Council of Shopping Centers is forecasting a meager 1 percent holiday spending increase compared to last. The National Retail Federation’s forecast is only slightly better: a 2.2 percent increase compared to last holiday season. The Federation’s 10-year-average for the season is an increase of 4.4 percent.

“I know many stores were very careful with their inventories and have slimmed them down to be more cautious,” said Shirley Ezell, associate professor of human development and consumer science at the University of Houston’s College of Technology.

On Black Friday, at least, many big-box retailers moved lots of inventory.

“We probably had over a thousand people waiting to get in at 4 a.m.,” said J.C. Penney Meyerland store manager Nelson Whittington.

‘It’s just too cheap’

Across the Houston area, shoppers were drawn to the doorbusters.

Mary Ann Maxwell, from the Sealy area, said she pointed her Mustang east around 2 a.m. only to arrive at the Memorial City Sears well before the 5 a.m. opening time. She stayed focused on the half-price front-loading washer and dryer set waiting for her inside.

“It’s just too cheap,” said Maxwell, looking forward to the deal.

With flat-screen TVs among the hottest holiday items, Sara Garson and Carlos Garza wandered through Best Buy near the Galleria with two on their cart, even though they would buy only one.

After two hours of debating, they hadn’t decided which to buy and didn’t want someone to grab the last of either before making up their minds. Garson, buying the set for her home, was trying to decide between one model with better resolution and another with a more stylish design.

“She cares more about how it looks with the furniture,” Garza said.

Additional reporting by Chronicle staffers Mark Babineck, Brad Hem, Bill Hensel Jr. and Purva Patel.

Leo Daily Horoscope

The past is coming back, not to haunt you — but to thrill you! Whether it’s an old flame coming back into town to see what you’re up to, an old photo you find that stirs up some hilarious memories, or even just a song on the oldies station that reminds you of summer camp, your past is suddenly very present. This is a wonderful day to travel down memory lane and let yourself remember the person you used to be — and of course, marvel at the person you have become.

You may be in an easygoing, agreeable mood today as you go with the flow of whatever is presented. This can help you get through the day free from stress, and you may even notice you’ve accomplished more than you normally would have. It can be challenging to balance all that we want to do with being relaxed and easygoing. It requires us to remember that we are not in full control, but have to work with the universe to create our lives. We want to set goals and work toward them, but at the same time not be overly attached to the outcome. Today, this may come naturally and effortlessly, making for pleasant experiences. 

Being flexible and relaxed is something we can practice at any time. A simple deep breath can bring us back to center, allowing us to start again. We can look out of a window or go outside to get in touch with the rhythm of nature. Our own inner rhythm can then slow to match the swaying of the trees, the cadence of bird songs, or the falling of leaves or snow. When an opportunity comes for unplanned fun, we can consider our current state of balance, and accept it as we would accept a gift. By paying attention to the positive feelings that come from being amenable and easygoing, we can learn to create them in times of stress. But today, they are ours to enjoy.

You can get your’s at www.dailyom.com – no charge.

Thanksgiving has come to mean a great many things to me over the years, but more than anything it has given me an opportunity to reflect on the wonderful things in my life.   That is not something that comes naturally to me.  But today, I am a very grateful man.

I’ve lost many things in my life, well to be honest, I have given most of them away.  I sometimes tend to reflect on those things a bit too much.  I’ve lost at love, at business, and some other life altering events.  But, I still have the love of my children, perfect health, a beautiful home, and a great job.   So tomorrow, I will try not to reflect at all on what I want, and be thankful for what I have.

I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Mike

Her protectionist stance has helped open markets – for others.

• In a grim world economy, the news that Canada and Colombia signed a free trade agreement at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Lima last week is something to celebrate. Unless you are an American farmer or manufacturer.

AP

The Canada-Colombia FTA will expand bilateral trade by lowering tariffs on a wide variety of products. Some Canadian agricultural products — including wheat, barley and lentils — and many manufactured goods will enter Colombia tariff-free immediately. Running in the reverse direction, Colombian producers will find a more open Canadian market and Canada’s consumers will have more choice at better prices. The agreement will also give new legal protections to investment and improved market access in services.

It’s what you call a win-win. But not for American exporters who compete with Canadians in Colombia. Because Speaker Nancy Pelosi has blocked a vote in Congress on the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement, American goods will automatically be more expensive than those from Canada by the amount of the existing tariff. If the United Auto Workers thought their Caterpillar exports were losing global ground before, wait until they compete on this not-so-level playing field.

In agreeing to the deal, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper also showed geopolitical leadership: “By expanding our trading relationship with Colombia, we are not only opening up new opportunities for Canadian businesses in a foreign market, we are also helping one of South America’s most historic democracies improve the human rights and security situation in their country.”

Mr. Harper doesn’t owe his recent election to Big Labor

I think the worst part of this current financial crisis is the impact on people who have recently retired, or were within striking distance of retiring.   The financial losses incurred by these people will never be recovered.  Losing the value of their 401k or of their homes, has forced many to delay their retirements, or forget about it completely.

I work with one of these people.  He is 67 years old and worked his whole life.  At first the financial crisis looked like a short term market correction, until Wall St, banks, and the housing market dropped 50% or more.  Before this mess, he announced he would retire at year’s end.  Recently, he told he can’t.  And at 67, he will never have the money to stop working.

People need to blame someone for this mess.  It is human nature to do so.  But with an economy as large as ours, there is no one single person to blame.  The blame goes to a series of CEO’s, companies, and politicians who put their own greed before the country.  And, we all just stood by and watched.  We too have some responsibility for our spending habits, saving habits, and for re-electing the same greedy thieves in Washington.

I have begun to notice an opposite trend with Obama-nation.  The new talking heads that are about to take positions of authority are doing little to manage expectations.  No, they are chomping at the bit to take power and have been hitting the talk show circuit blaming the “eight years of this administration” for everything!  As you have read here before, I do not hold Mr. Bush blameless, but he cannot be used as the Obama whipping boy forever.

Whatever is wrong with the U.S. goes back many, many years.  The fix for it may take many more as well.  But, the Obama’s are in for a rude awakening if they think they can blame Bush for everything forever.  They will take power and have to do something, which in my experience with the government, will do more harm than good.

How to Love Yourself

How to Love Yourself

Introduction

Instructions

Things You’ll Need

Steps

Tips & Warnings

• this doesn’t happen over night and you have to be patient with your self and continue to reach for the goal of loving you all of you.