It's a sleepy Saturday morning in the neighbourhood. Unusually quiet actually. Not sure why. I stumbled, sleepy-eyed to the front door to pick up the paper from the front porch, did a quick scan of the yard. Nothing amiss. The magnolia has shed most of its pink and white petals, creating a messy carpet beneath it. But, just as nature intended (or rather how I planned it), the Service berry is just starting to open it's delicate white blossoms. A pretty distraction from the now sad looking mag.
I took a quick look at the morning paper, first the section headlines, then a more detailed look at the front section. Nothing earth-shattering. Big whoop - the confirmed flu cases in Canada have risen to 55. Not going to worry about that yet. More interesting to me actually was yet another full-page ad from one of Toronto's higher-end furniture retailers, DeBoer's offering 40% off. Last week it was Elte offering 50% off. The week before that it was Barrymore at 60%. These 10% increments are either encouraging news about the economy, or perhaps the reality of the situation hasn't quite sunk in with the guys that run DeBoer's. Time will tell.
In the meantime, I check my lottery ticket. If I won, this might be a good time to go shopping. No such luck. There was a time when discounts of this size and nature, would see me running out the door, eager to cash in on a deal. Now, I'm not so excited. It's really quite an incredible about-face for me. (now if it were a half-price sale on golf stuff....maybe). The truth is, I really don't need anything. And my wants are weakening just like the economy. We're funny that way, we humans. We adapt. Not necessarily willingly, but eventually we do come around. What other choice do we have?
I must admit though, since I have stopped what I refer to as "sport-shopping", I don't really miss it. I still get an occasional craving, like a smoker or drinker in recovery, but it passes pretty quickly. Now I only go shopping for necessities or for clients. Short of reciting "My name is Debra and I am a shopaholic", every week, I would go so far as to say I am cured. Further proof - I am going to NYC this August to celebrate my dearest friend, Peggy's 50th birthday. In the past, that would have meant a major shopping spree on Fifth Avenue. This trip will be different. The focus will be less on acquiring things and more on soaking up the culture of the city.
Maybe this new approach is a direct result of tightening pocketbooks, but the shift in the approach is actually a good thing. The last time I went to New York (for my own 50th), shopping was a top priority, with museums and Broadway shows following behind in second and third place on the list. So, the way I see it, this "reversal of fortune", once considered disastrous, will really benefit me and my brain in the long run.
So there you go - I didn't need to have the winning lottery numbers this morning, I'm actually more of a winner without them. (did I really just say that?)
Yup, I really did.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
This time - The Whitney!
It's a sleepy Saturday morning in the neighbourhood. Unusually quiet actually. Not sure why. I stumbled, sleepy-eyed to the front door to pick up the paper from the front porch, did a quick scan of the yard. Nothing amiss. The magnolia has shed most of its pink and white petals, creating a messy carpet beneath it. But, just as nature intended (or rather how I planned it), the Service berry is just starting to open it's delicate white blossoms. A pretty distraction from the now sad looking mag.
I took a quick look at the morning paper, first the section headlines, then a more detailed look at the front section. Nothing earth-shattering. Big whoop - the confirmed flu cases in Canada have risen to 55. Not going to worry about that yet. More interesting to me actually was yet another full-page ad from one of Toronto's higher-end furniture retailers, DeBoer's offering 40% off. Last week it was Elte offering 50% off. The week before that it was Barrymore at 60%. These 10% increments are either encouraging news about the economy, or perhaps the reality of the situation hasn't quite sunk in with the guys that run DeBoer's. Time will tell.
In the meantime, I check my lottery ticket. If I won, this might be a good time to go shopping. No such luck. There was a time when discounts of this size and nature, would see me running out the door, eager to cash in on a deal. Now, I'm not so excited. It's really quite an incredible about-face for me. (now if it were a half-price sale on golf stuff....maybe). The truth is, I really don't need anything. And my wants are weakening just like the economy. We're funny that way, we humans. We adapt. Not necessarily willingly, but eventually we do come around. What other choice do we have?
I must admit though, since I have stopped what I refer to as "sport-shopping", I don't really miss it. I still get an occasional craving, like a smoker or drinker in recovery, but it passes pretty quickly. Now I only go shopping for necessities or for clients. Short of reciting "My name is Debra and I am a shopaholic", every week, I would go so far as to say I am cured. Further proof - I am going to NYC this August to celebrate my dearest friend, Peggy's 50th birthday. In the past, that would have meant a major shopping spree on Fifth Avenue. This trip will be different. The focus will be less on acquiring things and more on soaking up the culture of the city.
Maybe this new approach is a direct result of tightening pocketbooks, but the shift in the approach is actually a good thing. The last time I went to New York (for my own 50th), shopping was a top priority, with museums and Broadway shows following behind in second and third place on the list. So, the way I see it, this "reversal of fortune", once considered disastrous, will really benefit me and my brain in the long run.
So there you go - I didn't need to have the winning lottery numbers this morning, I'm actually more of a winner without them. (did I really just say that?)
Yup, I really did.
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