the necessary evil

I'm a crafter. I craft. Mostly I use yarn for my crafts, but sometimes I need paper for my scrapbooks, fake flowers for my home, or baskets to hold things. Unfortunately, there is only one convenient and reasonably priced place around town where ALL of these items can be found.

Michael's. The necessary evil.

I don't know if you have to frequent this chain craft store, but if you do, I know you feel my pain. Michael's has the worst customer service of just about any store I have to visit. I usually can't find anyone to help me when I need help, and then if I do happen to locate a salesperson, they rarely know the answer to my question and are generally unwilling to go to any effort to help me find it. Therefore, I usually avoid having questions when I'm there. Its just less ... infuriating.

Today I had to go for some yarn to finish a project I'm working on, and a few other miscellaneous things. As I wandered around I came across an aisle PACKED, floor to ceiling, with Halloween paraphernalia. Somewhere on those shelves was a toy making what were supposed to be scary noises. I didn't bother walking down the aisle to investigate. Call me crazy, but I'm simply not ready for Halloween in August. What is it with retailers? I understand being prepared for what's to come, but Halloween is still more than two months away!

And then, as I continued to walk, I started to register what my eyes were seeing. I couldn't believe it at first, but as I looked closer, I realized I was looking at reindeer. And then I saw ornaments, and toy villages covered in fake snow. No. NO. Say it isn't so!!! Christmas! Christmas has arrived at Michael's in the middle of the summer!! Now, I love Christmas as much as the next person. Ask my coworkers, I usually start the Christmas music just before Thanksgiving and love to have my tree up at the very beginning of December. But ... but ... its August! I'm still in flip flops and enjoying the warm weather. We're still barbequing almost every night. And Michael's wants me to buy ornaments and reindeer!

I refuse to be pushed into the holiday season, especially by the necessarily evil Michael's chain store. Yes, they serve needs of mine, but I do not have to follow their lead. I will choose to follow Grandma Lois's advice and "be where you are." And where I am is in August, enjoying the sunny weather and the smell of BBQ in the air. I look forward to Christmas, but I won't be spending the weekend decking it in fake snow.