Made in America

When I find something I like, I usually stick with it. I'm fairly loyal. When I drink a soda, it's usually Pepsi. When I want salsa, I settle for nothing less than Pace Picante Sauce. The cupboards in my kitchen are Kraft made. I'll never get any other brand. I know what I like, and I support it with my money. Recently the blanket that I've had on my bed for over twenty years started to show signs of it's age. The edges were getting frayed, and there were spots that were looking kind of sparse in the fabric. The original blanket maker was Vellux. It was a velour blanket, and I loved it. Of course I wanted to replace it with another one. Well, I looked around on line, and all I could find were velour blankets made in China. There were assorted complaints about them, everything from smelling like formaldehyde to having them slide off the bed during the night and ending up in a pile on the floor beside the bed. Hmmm.... not good. I decided to check out blankets made in the good ol' USA, and ran across the American Blanket Company, out of Fall River Mass. I checked out the reviews and they seemed favorable. Frankly, the price was a little spendy. I'm normally a $30.00 blanket kind of guy, and the one that interested me the most, the Luster Loft, was ringing in at a whopping $99.00 plus shipping. Now, they do offer $10.00 flat rate shipping in the lower 48. I inquired about getting the $10.00 rate and it was explained to me that Alaska didn't qualify for that rate. It was going to be $55.00 to get it here via the USPS in three days. That alone was enough to make me really wonder if I wanted a good quality blanket that badly. I started thinking about the cost, and then figured what the cost would be if the blanket lasted twenty years. It worked out to less than $8.00 a year. If you spend about a third of your life in bed, $8.00 a year sounds pretty economical. I was still wavering back and forth when I called back and happened to speak to the most delightful young lady on the other end of the phone. She seemed genuinely  happy to speak to me, and when she found out I was from Alaska she convinced me that this was the blanket for this harsh climate. It was apparent that she believed in the products that they sell. Of course the added bonus is that the blankets are made in America, providing Americans with jobs. They're guaranteed for life,so maybe I'll be buried in it.  I ordered it, and three days later it arrived at the Hoonah post office. I had been telling me friend Mark, the post master, about the blanket, so when it arrived, I opened the box, peeled back the plastic covering, and stuck my hand deep in the folds of that wonderful blanket. I invited Mark to do the same, and no doubt we looked like a couple of freaks fondling that incredible softness right in the Hoonah post office. I had ordered the Patriot Blue, a dark, rich, blue color that looks almost snobby it's so luxurious. To say the fabric is soft, is like saying Alaska is big. It doesn't begin to describe the degree of comfort I experience every night now. When I told Mark I wanted to take my blanket home, he reluctantly removed his hands, but had the audacity to ask if he could come feel my blanket when he visits. I told him no, but to offset any hurt feelings, I asked Ari, The Blanket Lady, if she could send some swatches, which she did. Mark now has his own swatch of Luster Loft to comfort him in his quiet times. He wants to order a throw blanket, and he's discussed ordering the chocolate brown in Luster Loft, and already has visions of sitting on his front porch on a winter's evening wrapped in  his wonderfully warm, soft throw blanket drinking a cup of hot chocolate and looking out over Port Frederick. Can a blanket be so good it's sinful? I don't know, but perhaps it's just the opposite. Perhaps its a blessing from above. In any event, I'm delighted that I bit the bullet and purchased this wonderful blanket from a delightful young lady, who works for a great American company. If you're in need of a new blanket, I hope you'll give Ari, the Blanket Lady a call.
The number is 877-750-5331 or email them at www.americanblanketcompany.com
Tell her Tom sent you. And ask about their free blanket give away. I believe it's every Wednesday. Just to be clear, I'm not being compensated in any way for this testimony. I just really, really like my blanket. Sweet dreams!