By Lee Scott
As I was reviewing our “stay at home” supplies, I stumbled across a stash of hostess paper towels for the bathroom, all of which have various themes like Halloween and Christmas.
I usually buy a stack or two of fresh towelettes for dinner parties or holiday functions. I decided they would make great dinner napkins right now. Then I thought, that maybe, I have other products lying around. So, I started to look for other paper products like cocktail napkins and paper towels.
Sure enough, in the liquor cabinet were skeleton cocktail napkins from Halloween and poinsettia napkins from Christmas. I also discovered a roll of paper towels with Christmas trees and reindeer on them.
I started to pull everything out, including the political rolls of toilet paper that were given to us as gifts. Truthfully, I am not sure they meet the current sanitation requirements, so they will probably remain unused.
Then while rummaging in the powder room, I found two large bottles of rubbing alcohol behind the Suntan lotion and band aids. I realized I could make my own sanitizing lotion if needed. The internet has a load of recommendations for Purell substitutes.
The more I started searching the house, I realized there were other things I could use now too, like cards. I have left over St. Patrick Day cards, Valentine Cards, old Christmas cards, and money cards.
Now was the time for fun. With my sister and daughter-in-law’s birthdays in April, I pulled out a “Sorry for the loss of your pet” card for my sister and a “Congratulations on your new house” card for my daughter-in-law. I got calls from them both. They understood right away that hunting for specific cards right now is probably not a good idea.
When I told my daughter-in-law about the skeleton napkins, she said she found a collection of Happy Birthday napkins left over from various birthday parties. She is using them now and the girls say they get to have a party every day. She is also having my granddaughters make their own cards for upcoming Easter, birthdays and “Thinking of you” occasions.
Good time for me to get out my pink and blue construction paper to do the same for them. Of course, I still have some old “Congratulations on the birth of your son” cards, but I am not sure that is quite appropriate
for them.
Finally, I found the perfect card for my son’s birthday. It was one of those “Congratulations on your retirement” money cards. I wrote “Happy Birthday” and put a Monopoly $500 bill in the sleeve.
“Sorry I couldn’t get to the ATM. I knew you would understand.” Love, Mom.
Lee Scott, a writer and recent retiree, shares her everyday observations about life after career. A former commercial banker responsible for helping her clients to reach their business objectives, Scott now translates those analytical skills to her writings. She lives on St. Helena Island and enjoys boating, traveling and reading.
