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OpinionFond memories of the ëWhite Saleí time of yearIt makes sense for life to revolve around specific events, those annual events on which you can always depend. As the new year opens, thereís a coldness in our communities and homes as the warm-colored lights and pretty decorations are taken down and packed away. So any kind of diversion right now is much appreciated. January, being the month of my birth, I always had something more to look forward to after the excitement of Christmas, but even more than a commemorative date of age was the coming of the white sale. I have been researching historical facts about several items lately, and have gotten pulled down into the vastness of Web sites, so I abstained from looking for the history of this particular annual event. You can get so lost in the archives on the internet you actually feel youíve gone back in time. Anyway, I assume that the term ìwhite saleî goes back to times when sheets and towels, being the mainstay of the original white sale, were actually white. Today, people find humor in calling these sales ìwhite,î because you can hardly find a white towel or sheet to purchase, but isnít that delightful. Anyway, the ìsaleî that comes about this time of year hardly is limited to sheets and towels anymore, although it is a good time of the year to replenish those frayed hand wipers and threadbare bed covers. I donít know why we become so attached to the darn things, but when you can see through the kitchen handtowel, itís time to make it a rag. The concept of a sale on linens moved to a ìstock upî event some years ago for many other household items such as office supplies ( I always loved that 2 for one price on the business envelopes and writing tablets) and kitchen supplies and even underwear. What better time is there to purchase a dozen pair of socks and toss the old singles. Trouble is, at my house, there has always been hope that the missing partner will show up so I still have a large plastic bag of lonely socks waiting for a reunion. You know what, I think there are even a few individual leg warmers in there. Yes, itís been over 20 years. And youíre right, the elastic is so deteriorated, the socks wouldnít stay up even if I did find their match. I guess I always thought that if I didnít find the pair, Iíd make puppets. We could have had such a large troupe of handpuppets at our house we could have re-enacted ìEl Cidî or ìGone With the Wind,î or any of those flicks with extremely large groups of extras. Today, the white sale, stock up sale, or whatever you want to call the sale that arrives right after the holidays, includes other clothing like sweaters and jeans, nighties and shoes, and useful items like small appliances, CDs and DVDs, auto parts and cleaning supplies. How excited one can get in picking up several bottles of pine cleaner and a supply of mop heads. Believe me, my life really isnít that dull, thereís just some kind of joy a former homemaker finds in ìthinkingî about all the cleaning one can do with new supplies. The fact is, if youíve any money left from holiday shopping at all, the stores will be more than willing to assist you in your initial donation for the new year. Not that itís not good to keep the commercial businesses going. Actually, Iíd rather see them depend more on the nine months of shopping, which can be done more leisurely, than the three months up to the holidays when shopping is a frantic endeavor. Anyway, itís comforting in a way to see the ads for the ìwhite saleî because I know life goes on in some sort of predictable manner, like beach towels and bathing suits in May and school supplies in August. And I like that. I only wish I had more time to partake in the joys of the white sales these days. The one good thing about working so much is that it does provide you with a financial source, one that wasnít always so available when the kids were little and the white sales were the highlight of my winter. Still, the memories of those mid-winter blues chasers are fond. So, if I can get away for a couple of hours, Iíll see you at a white sale and we can make it like old times again. ©ECM Post Review |