DB and I bought a real down comforter about 24 years ago when we were heating with wood. Our bedroom was a veritable icebox. We had tried the electric blanket route, but it wasn't satisfactory for either of us. How we loved that comforter! On those cold and windy nights, when the wind whistled through the old window frames, and even through the uninsulated walls, snuggling deep into that comforter created our own mini-climate of tropical warmth.
When we moved back here after the debacle with The Rose, some of the siding was off the north face of the house. Much of the insulation we had had blown in between the walls and the outside had settled down so that even with the furnace running, we were sleeping in a refrigerator. I made a duvet out of some especially attractive cotton fabric I had rescued from The Rose, covered a couple extra pillows with cut-up silk curtains, also from The Rose, and put a new, matching bedskirt on our queen-size bed.
It was my refuge, my hide-away when I was blue, which I was often in those days right after we had to close The Rose. I'd snuggle down into that pretty bed, with its old comforter and be able to forget all our problems for a while. The little TV worked then, and I watched many an hour from my bed.
Well, eventually, I came to grips with what we both felt was a gigantic failure, I went back to work, and my bed became a refuge after a long day at work. Meantime, however, this old down comforter had lost its "baffles" and the down shifted all over the place during the night. In the morning, when I had the time to make the bed, I would have to shake and shake it to spread the down around. It didn't help that the down was now TOO warm for our newly insulated and vinyl-sided house. During the night, DB and I would throw the comforter at each other in our sleep, and often I'd wake up sweating from what used to be cozy warmth and now was uncomfortable heat.
So, a couple days ago, when I saw "Bed-in-a-bag" sales at my favorite department store, I decided to go look. Did I mention that I have a thing for 100% cotton sheets, and especially those that are over 200 count? I was spoiled early on by plain cotton sheets, washed and hung on the line, and ironed by an old-fashioned iron. Poly-cotton blends not only can't equal the feeling of cotton, but they are downright uncomfortable to me.
(By-the-way, I would still hang them out on the line, if life weren't so busy now.)
I hunted and hunted through the hundreds of comforter sets, sheet sets, and beds-in-bags. Of course, the ones that were the most luxurious (350 count cotton sheets) were way out of my range, even with the 50% off sale. I despaired of ever finding one that had 100% cotton sheets, at least, even if the comforter was a poly-cotton blend. I found a sales clerk that was truly helpful and truly cheerful (a rare combination these days of large discount stores), and she and I plowed through a mountain of comforters.
At last! An ecru and cream Bed-in-a-Bag that wasn't too feminine, wasn't too cutesy (I just couldn't imagine sleeping under Tweety Bird), and had 230 count percale, 100% cotton SHEETS! And the 50% off gave me enough cash left over that I purchased another set of sateen, 230 count, 100% cotton sheets. Ah, luxury!
Now I run in to look at my bed every hour or so to be sure it is still there, pluffy, and silky, and not-too-warm-but-just-right, with its 100% cotton, 230 count percale sheets. And everything matches, including the extra shams (EUROPEAN STYLE, of course) that came in the bag with my new bed. And when I slip into the bed at night, and snuggle under this new comforter (polyester filling, of course; one can't have everything), I feel safe and snug from the perils of the cold hard world.
Oh, and the old comforter? It's gracing the bed in the computer-cum-sewing-cum-guest room, still looking dapper and VERY WARM.
Life is good. Amen
7:49 AM
I missed the beautiful day yesterday, spending the whole time digging out some of the particularly rank areas of the computer-cum-sewing-cum-dressing room. I did walk to breakfast with DB, but that hardly counts. However, I feel virtuous about the cleaning frenzy.
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