REMIND ME

Next year, will someone please remind me why it's not a good idea to go shopping the day after Thanksgiving? For years, I resisted the urge to do that but today I was enticed by some of the JoAnn Fabric ads. Flannel fabric was on sale for $1.49 per yard. My 85-year-old mother uses flannel to make lap robes for nursing home residents and though she often says she's going to stop sewing, she really does enjoy it. Making "blankies", as she calls them, is her own little mission.

The sale was too good to resist and I started out early so I could find some matching prints and solids. Mom is now homebound and can't get out to buy fabric herself. Our system is that I purchase fabric and either mail it or take it to her, she makes the lap robes and gives them to me, and I make sure nursing home residents receive them. We've done this for years.

When I arrived at the JoAnn Fabrics store at 7am, the parking lot was already filled. It seemed many other people were just as brave (or crazy) as I was. I finally found a parking space, went into the store, and headed straight to the flannel fabric. I was stunned to see so many women pushing overflowing shopping carts and waiting for fabric to be measured and cut. I took a number and casually made my choices. My number was 02, and the number that had been called as I'd secured it was 64 - almost 40 numbers would be called before mine. I chose to continue shopping until it was my turn. I could have left the store, but decided to stay, and wait, and wait . . .

An hour and 15 minutes after I walked into the store, my number came up and I stepped to the counter feeling as if I'd won a prize. I folded each piece of fabric after the clerk cut it and she seemed grateful for the help, plus it sped the process a bit. The waiting wasn't much fun but everyone I saw or talked with today was polite and that made the chaos less traumatic. I headed to the checkout line but didn't have far to go since the line stretched all the way to the back of the store.

To my relief, the line moved fairly quickly and I was able to use a "20% off total purchase" coupon for my items. In the end, I guess all the waiting was worth the trouble. After checking out, I was on to the next store. I thought I might as well take advantage of being up so early.