Purchases and Severances

I contemplated several purchases during my lunch hour on Thursday, just hours before I was laid off.  I did not make one big purchase:  my sister and I had talked about meeting at my mom and dad's for her birthday in March, but because I have so little vacation time, I would have had to fly on peak days, and it just didn't seem worth the $400+ that the airline ticket would cost.  Plus, I was thinking about what would happen if I got sick because of being exposed to so many people while flying--I do have (did have) sick days, but would I have enough?  I was leaning towards telling my sister that I couldn't do it, but I thought I would wait another week or two; maybe there would be a mid-February sale.

Usually my splurges are much simpler things.  Just days before I was laid off, I ordered more tea.  I buy from Harney and Sons, and because I drink so much tea at work, I buy the bags of 50 tea sachets.  I have the tins lined up on a shelf, and I fill the tins from the bags.  When I order the economy size of teas I know I like, I often also buy a tin of a tea that sounds interesting.  Occasionally, I find a new favorite this way.

That tea arrived at my residence on the day I was laid off.  I guess I could return it.  In the past, I have tended not to drink tea throughout the day when I am at home.  But I have usually only been at home on the week-ends.  I've decided to keep it.  It won't go bad, after all.  And it's quality tea, so it will retain its flavor.  And who knows?  Maybe I'll continue to drink tea on week days when I'm at home.

Above is a picture of the fabric that I bought just hours before being laid off.  I had done an internet search for the amazing fabric store, Sunshine Fabrics, that used to be in Broward county.  I found a phone number and called, expecting to hear that the number had been disconnected.

Instead, a woman answered the phone, and I explained that I was looking for Sunshine Fabrics.  She said that the store was online now.   I asked if she still sold fabrics, and she said yes.

I have never bought fabric online before.  I don't trust the photos, and I want to feel the material.  But since I was familiar with the store, I was willing to take the risk.  

The fabric is even more beautiful than the pictures promised.  Hurrah.  And I was able to get the ends of some bolts, which means I paid $5 a yard for fabric that had been $15 a yard.  If you're in the market for gorgeous fabric, go here.

I can't return the fabric, but even if I could, I wouldn't want to.  I'm going to add it to the fabric that I bought in January and I'm going to make a quilt in this time of transition.

I have time now, and I've saved up money--I can go to Quilt Camp in April and to the Create in Me retreat.

And yesterday, I bought a plane ticket to go celebrate my mom's birthday.  Because I no longer have to schedule around work, I could get a round trip ticket for hundreds of dollars less than the ones I decided not to buy, hours before I was laid off.