January: A gift card for my birthday!? Thank you. It is just the right size and fit for my sewing hobby.
February: It is a long ways to that hobby shop. I like this card but when I am near the store, I don’t have time to stop and shop.
March: What cute fabric! I like this fabric. I will buy it. I just wish this boutique shop would accept my gift card. “Do you take a Visa?”
April: Hey! Look there is the shop where I can spend my gift card. I have a bit of time to shop.
“Stop here, dear. I am going to use that gift card.”
Open wallet before entering store. No gift card. Guess I won’t shop there today. Where is that card anyway?
May: Look! I found the gift card I got for my birthday. I’ll tuck it in with my credit cards so I can find it when I need it.
June: Finally, I am in the store and I have the gift card in hand. What do I want?
Nothing in this aisle. Those fabrics look pretty. Oh, they are not on sale. I like to buy on sale so I can stretch my dollars even with gift card dollars. What about sewing notions? Don’t need any. I have more than I use already.
What I really want is that expensive machine, but I don’t really need it and for sure I don’t want to spend that much of my own money today.
July: Changing purses: Credit card, bank card, gift card. Hmm, I need to use that sometime soon.
August: Traveling hundreds of miles across the the country I see one after another of the craft store franchises, but there is not time to shop. We have many miles to go and a a lengthy list of places to see. Rule 1 for vacations: Experience the area’s uniqueness, avoid franchise shops and restaurants. Outside I agree; inside, I protest, “It’s just across the road. We could make a bit of time.”
September: No time to sew. I must do a super clean of the house while hubby is out of town for a few weeks.
This weekend I will be near that store. I could spend my gift card then.
Stop. Do not go there. I just hauled off three car loads of stuff. Nothing more will be added to the excessive clutter in this house.
October: Look at this stack of gift cards I found in the desk when I cleared out its clutter. Restaurants, lumber yard and a “spend it anywhere” card. I wonder how much we have total in gift money to spend including my birthday gift card. Looking these up on the Internet is super fast. Let’s see we have $40, plus $52 plus $75 plus $50 and this last card. Humph! It is only worth $25. Just in time for the holiday we have gift cards to eat out and buy gifts. Time to go shopping! Time to eat out!
Early November: Sure you can use my gift card for my hobby to buy stuff for your hobby.
Late November: Why did you buy that stuff with MY gift card? Tomorrow the shop is starting Black Friday early, and I know exactly what I want to buy: flannel: lots and lots of flannel to make pajamas for the family. Yes, you have to come with me. You can help me choose.
Two hours later we walk out without the gift card. I really thought the card would cover the cost of two huge bags of flannel. Instead I needed another gift card to pay for all the fabric. When the gift cards go to zero, the credit cards pick up the difference.
December: Pre-shrinking dozens of yards of flannel means hours of waiting on the machines to wash and dry lumpy loads of folded fabric and then hoping it does not need to be ironed before it is cut. Looking into my crystal pin cushion, I see hours and hours ahead of me bending over a table pinning, cutting and sewing. No time to think about it now, I have to get busy sewing.
As I push the pedal to the medal and keep the machines humming late into the night, I can’t help but remind myself, “I am really glad I received that gift card for my birthday. Thank you, It’s just what I wanted.”
Joan Hershberger is a staff writer for the El Dorado News-Times. She can be reached at joanh@eldoradonews.com