When we finally packed away the king size water bed of our twenties we bought a fancy shmancy double bed with our first house in 1989. That bed lasted exactly 11 years. Not sure if it was the heart transplant or the old mattress which was making E feel worse in 2000 but I eventually had to take him into the Bay store in Richmond to look for a new one. He literally lay down on the first bed closest to the door and fell asleep. We bought that one. It was a queen, we had two dogs by then.

Ten years later we moved to the island and brought with us a new mattress from Costco. It lasted exactly 8 years and four months. It is not so easy to bring a mattress to the island especially in these days and these times. Thank goodness for mattresses which come in a box. I would (without compensation) like to endorse the Zinus mattress in a box from Amazon.

We originally purchased a Zinus double mattress in a box for the bunkie. It was $333 and came four days after we ordered it. My son tried it out and approved so we ordered a second for the bunkie’s second bedroom. I was making the bed with the new mattress and promptly cuddled up for a nap….. hmmm not bad.

We hadn’t really budgeted for a new bed at the house but this summer, when I wasn’t feeling well and sleeping on the couch ’cause the bed was horrid, E took pity on me and ordered us a new queen sized mattress in a box. Honestly, maybe we have been sleeping on rocks for so long that our bar is really low but these mattresses are awesome. A queen sized mattress arrived in a box, four days after ordering it, for a grand total $394. Simple wheel barrow trip on and off the boat and down to the house. It expands over three days to twelve inches high and becomes deliciously firm. Maybe not for a million dollar city mansion but for a house on an off grid island and less than $400, even if it only lasts five years instead of eight, I will be happy.

Lord knows we are once again happy campers

with better sleeps.