Friday, December 5, 2008

Worn Out, Needs Replaced

I've been married nearly twenty years. When I was a bright-eyed, blushing, excited bride-to-be all those years ago, I didn't really think about what things would be like two decades down the road.

How worn out things would get.

How I'd tire of the same things, day in, day out.

How I'd wish for something with a little more pizzazz. Something to jazz up what I already have.

No, I'm not talking about my husband :-) I'm keeping him ;-). I'm talking about all the bridal shower gifts. Twenty years ago, the toaster and dish towels were shiny and beautiful. Now they're dull and worn (actually I'm now on my third toaster). The few wine glasses that have survived for two decades are mis-matched, and the bedding is so worn it's see-through.

It's time for all new stuff. Top to bottom, a household replacement. The problem? My husband learned pretty early on NOT TO BUY THE WIFE HOUSEHOLD STUFF FOR ANY OCCASION. He once bought me a blender.

Once.

So now, when I put stuff like "new pots and pans" on my Christmas list, he backs away, hands up. No way, he says, is he going anywhere near that. He's learned his lesson, and he's not making that mistake again. Okay, so he's not going to buy any of that.

Second problem? He also doesn't see the need for replacing any of that stuff. If the dishtowel still has a single fiber left in it, hey, it will still dry a dish. This is the same man who didn't want to replace our living room sofa until it was down to ONE SPRING. One. I have yet to be able to argue my way into all new kitchen, bedroom and bath stuff. So, I've come up with a solution.

A mid-life bridal shower.

Hey, people renew their vows, right? Why not renew the house? Of course, my friends aren't exactly seeing the need to pony up cash for my house, but if we all conspired together and did it for each other all at the same time, it'd be the equivalent of buying it for ourselves, pretty much. We could register and everything. Do it as a group--there's power in numbers. And in the end, we'd all have our kitchens, baths and bedrooms outfitted with new pots and pans, towels and sheets.

And be all set for another twenty years ;-)

Shirley

posted by Shirley @ 6:00 AM