Sick of My Linens

I washed my bedding today. Biggie-wow, you say? That's really something to write about, huh? Yea, well, while remaking the bed one of my pillow cases ripped in two. First I cried, then I got pissed.

Over Christmas, my daughter had called to tell me that Target was having a linen sale and did I want her to pick up a set of king-sized sheets for $30.00. $30.00 - that's less than the cost of a pair of shoes for cripes sake. Every store has a January White Sale EVERY YEAR, so why in the hell would I NOT get new linens. They might not be 5,000,000 count Egyptian cotton, but who cares.

And that blanket! Are you still using the blanket your mom got you when you went to college? Or that you got as a wedding gift from your FIRST marriage? I don't think so. Ladies, this is just ridiculous. We work, we take care of our families, our pets, our homes. This is not a luxury - this is a necessity.

I have made a promise to myself. I will never keep linens longer than three years from now on. That includes towels. Towels fray from the frequent washing and I deserve to have towels that aren't coming apart at the seams. Besides, I'm sick of the sight of them. Sheets, towels, pillows - they're all gone! I'll line the dog's kennel with them or use them as drop cloths when I paint. But I'm never going to put them on my bed again.

And, while I'm at it - I'm getting kind of tired of my dishes too. Ten years is long enough for a set of dishes, don't you think? It's not like they're heirlooms or expensive or anything. They're just a set I picked up at K-Mart when I was sick of the mis-matched ones I'd been using forever.

I'm fully aware of where this frugal nature comes from. But it's been a while since I was toeing the poverty line. Sometimes it's just the rut that we've dug that keeps us complacent. And I am heartily sick of this rut.

I remember visiting Aunt Della as a child and going through her numerous chest of drawers and closets. I would find new, never-worn nightgowns, slips, house dresses, aprons, bedding and blankets. When I would ask her about them, she'd tell me that they were all gifts from family and friends. When asked why she didn't use them, she said that she was "saving" them for "good". Good what?! Bless her heart - I can still picture her in that same house dress and apron that she always wore. When she died, her children were left to clean out those drawers and closets and haul it all to the Good Will.

So I got the sheets that Della had bought for me out of the drawer and put them on the bed. Tonight, I'm sleeping in a new bed. Yee haa!