Last week, our family celebrated Thanksgiving with turkey, stuffing, and all the trimmings, which officially moved us into the holiday season. Hopefully a season of peace and joy, but more likely a time of accelerated living, driven by our insatiable appetites for more "things."

It seems our family had no sooner finished giving thanks for this year's blessings - which, by the way, had nothing to do with material possessions: success in a new job, a year of improved health, an easier semester at college, wonderful friendships - than we were planning a trip to the mall.

My husband was up before dawn the Friday after Thanksgiving - he works in retail - and my one son and I were at the mall in time to watch the sun rise over its concrete walls. (Now if that doesn't inspire consumerism, nothing will.)

Until now, our family has always avoided Black Friday - that frenzied Friday after Thanksgiving when store owners hope yearly sales will move them out of the "red" and into the "black" but this year we, too, were sucked into the madness.

The night before, following dinner, the five of us sat around the fire my husband had built in the fireplace. With full bellies and little motivation, we found ourselves leafing through the newspaper stuffed with ads that made us all want more than what we already have.

What specifically drove my son and me from the comfort of our homes at such an early hour?

For my son, it was a 256MB USB port - a computer accessory about half the size of a Bic lighter that allows you to transfer data more easily from one computer to another (regularly $39.94, on sale that Friday for $9.94, after a $30 rebate!). He also wanted to look at a new DVD/VCR player for the family room TV, which now only has VCR capability.

For me, it was a desire for a new leather office chair, which, by the way, I never knew I wanted until I saw the newspaper ad (regularly $149, on sale for $49, with no rebate required!), and a good deal on a digital camera, which I knew I wanted without the benefit of an advertisement.

We entered the first store, an electronic wonderland, in search of good deals on a digital camera, a USB Port, and a DVD/VCR player. But when I saw bleary-eyed shoppers waiting 40-deep in the check-out line, I turned around and walked out.

"I'm not standing in that line, no matter how good the deals are," I told my son, as we headed for another store.

Several hours later, my wallet empty and the car trunk full, we returned home, even though we purchased only one of the great deals that inspired the shopping spree in the first place.

This holiday season is supposed to be a time of joy and peace, not possessions; why is that so difficult to remember?

I blame the ads.