Yesterday was cashmere day at my favorite Thrift Store. Every year the volunteers who run the shop save all the donated cashmere for this 1 day event. Affordable cashmere, yay! Cool concept, huh?! I always go from worker to worker thanking them for such a perfect event. Nothing keeps you cozy and warm like cashmere.
Every year I save up for cashmere day and take the day off from work. No kidding, I block the day off on my work calendar: Teacher Ruth is unavailable. When I arrive 30 minutes before opening I am never the first. There are always a handful of familiar women, ones I’ve seen every year, who’ve arrived ahead of me. We all catch up on what we’ve been up to since last year. Many of the stories involve treasures found in a year of second hand stores, garage sales and white elephant events.
I’d never splurge on cashmere at a regular store where the cost of one sweater could feed a family for a week. I have a family and they really do expect to eat, all week. But at the Thrift Store I can shop-no make that over shop! And, I admit I take a crazy kind of competitive pride in buying more than anyone else! And yes, I do secretly congratulate myself, bestowing on myself the title of top shopper of the year!
Best thing of all, this year I found cashmere lounging pants. Yay! Cashmere pants have been my secret quest for years.
Smile. Be happy. Be warm!
Ruth