Mastitis Blankets?

Bibs and blankets are the theme here. Margie tells me my husband Jim always carried around a diaper or blanket as a toddler. Now I wash at least 12 tea towels per day that serve as a “bib” to make sure Jim doesn’t get egg yolk on his shirt in the morning or spaghetti sauce at night, plus kitchen duty.

There’s one scratchy blanket over the sofa, more like a “lap robe” that he uses when he’s cold, downstairs. Tonight I told him I found the perfect blanket for him on sale down the street. He talked at length about heft, warmth and feel (I know, I’m a woman and older than him and don’t need lap robes) then mentioned a mastitis blanket. And what the heck is that? Dairy cows sometimes have “udder” (akin to other) problems unknown to you and me.

He recalls his mother saving coupons from mastitis treatment packages for dairy cows and whenever you bought enough, you’d get a blanket. Hence the mastitis blanket. It’s too late to e-mail his mom tonight but what does it mean for a non-farm gal who grew up in farm country for a couple of years to hear things like this? It’s scary. Other-worldly. Plus, I was afraid that she’d go into a drawer somewhere, find one and mail it to me! And now she will.

I’m going to try a really soft, light, warm blanket that he can use, I can easily wash, and know he’ll love it, just as he loved the diapers and blankets of his childhood and lap robes of adulthood. He’ll love it and won’t have to think about milking cows ever again, or of mastitis. An update is warranted on this one! Moooooo, Dee