I remember back in the day when I was still working at the Biola that there was a discussion of marriage going on in which an older co-worker of mine quipped, “I know why so many people get divorced around year seven! It’s because when they get married, they get all new stuff. Then, around year five, everything starts breaking. For the next two years, they argue about money so much that they end up divorced!” He was mostly joking, of course, and had been married quite a bit longer than seven years. I, on the other hand, was a newlywed. I also knew that many jokes have in them a grain or two of truth. And I remember that I purposed in myself to try and outwit such a situation.
Our main strategy has always been saving for the future. Tax refunds, not that we’ve gotten many, go to pay off bills or replace something that seems to be breaking. After we bought the Suburban, I immediately tried to decide what to save for next, and came up with a tie between a clothes dryer {ours has acted funny since we bought it used for $50 years ago} or a new computer {we are currently afraid to turn this baby off, as it might decide to die in its sleep overnight}. So, I have a section in our savings account for these things. Whichever ends up in the grave first gets the money.
In the meantime, I am also still using the broken mixer that makes that horrible clanking sound. I just close my eyes and dream of a Bosch.
I am sure that all you readers thought this post was going to have some sort of moral to the story, but really I wrote all of this in order to lay the ground for this horrible news: something in our house has died {rotted, actually}, and it was neither the dryer nor the computer. It’s my favorite sheets. The beautiful white ones with the boldly colored flowers gorgeously embroidered along the edges. The ones that perfect match the scarlet pillows and throw we have on our bed.
Those sheets.
Yes, they made a beautiful ripping sound as I pulled them up the other night.
Don’t worry, said Si, I can sew them up some evening while you nurse. But I had a bad feeling about it. And then Si hopped into bed, pulled up his sheets, and rrrriiiiiiipppppp!! went those sheets. My little tear was nothing compared to that one-and-a-half foot rip, rip, ripping.
Sigh.
I was excited for a new dryer, or a new computer, even. But sheets? My favorite sheets?
6 Comments
We seem to have only gotten two years use out of each of our sets of sheets. Oh that ripping sound! I am currently in love with our sunny yellow Ralph Lauren sheet set that I picked up from Ross for $25 for the whole queen-sized set! I would look there first if I were you, they have very pretty, very nice sheets for a very low price. These have made it a year so far, without even a hint of wear. It makes me happy to look at them because they are so sunny and pretty!
Sorry for your loss!
Wow. This IS epidemic! Yes, ladies, guard those sheets!
And Rebecca and Kris, I think that perhaps sheets that get softer with age would do better. Mine seemed to be more coarse with every washing. Though E. has those T-shirt sheets that are very soft, and I noticed his have a hole in it after only about two years! (That hole will have to get significantly larger before I consider replacing them.)
And Kris! I still have the blue-turned-purplish-pink sheets that matched the blue-turned-pink comforter! I use them when we need extra sheets for company or as an extra set when someone has an accident at night. I figure as long as the quilt on top is nice, no one needs to know they have ugly sheets underneath!
There seems to be an epidemic! I have never heard of sheets ripping after just a few years of use. I will have to be very careful with my favorite set (not super pretty just really soft).
Sorry about your loss, Brandy. Those were really pretty sheets.
None of my sheets have ripped, but they have all faded. They always make me think of your (Brandy) blue-turned-pink comforter! I have green-turned-yellow sheets that we still use because they are so soft and light in the summer.
Oh, and I just dare our flannel sheets to rip! 🙂
Sorry about the disapointment. I hate disappointment!
I had this happen to me a few months ago…I loved my sheets so much it was so sad to let them go.
I know that ripping sound! That happened to our sheets just a few months back. It was so sad. I guess they just don’t make sheets like they used to. I honestly thought we would get more than 4 years out of them.
Similar thing is currently happening in our home: we’ve been saving and planning for a dishwasher and now the fridge is acting funny!