I Want it! I Want it! .....but not that badly

I know there have been plenty of signs lately that the recession here in Canada may be beginning to be showing signs of bottoming out and even more signs of recovery. Case in point - when I was out shopping for one of my client's today (yes, they are spending again) I actually got distracted from the task at hand by a couple of items I myself might enjoy owning. (one of the hazards of working in the design field - "one for them, one for me") This has not happened to me in quite some time and it was almost refreshing to feel like I actually wanted something again. I have a bit of a thing currently for birds.(not ducks or eagles - small song birds) Birds on fabric, birds for real at my backyard feeders, birds in paintings and the thing I saw today which was a small bird sculpture, bronzed on a nice little black ceramic plinth. I couldn't help but reach out and stroke his lovely smooth back right down to his tail feathers and comment to the sales person how much I admired it. He was on sale and everything! However, the original price was high and the sale price was still too high, so I implanted him in my memory bank and bid farewell thinking he was worth about four rounds of golf (at decent courses) and I could live without him. So, although I did not succumb to my desire for the bird, it was a step in the direction of my own personal "recession recovery" I thought. Then, I looked at the headlines on today's Globe & Mail and was glad I had held off on owning the bird. "Second wave of financial crisis coming" warned British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. I have personally been thinking this all along - that we were headed for another hit round about August/September and as much as I hope I am wrong, my gut is telling me I'm right. So I will re-visit the birds I already own, real and otherwise and wait and see what the fall brings. I have also been particularly frugal about any unnecessary purchases since last fall and am thinking I will continue on this path. The truth is I haven't really missed shopping much at all. I kind of prefer spending my time on other pursuits like golf, tennis, gardening and hanging out with my daughter. She hates shopping, so it's just as well. I know - you're thinking, well golf costs money. Yes, that is true, but I used to do that....and shop, so now I have eliminated one big expense at least. So my advice, dear readers, hold off for a bit yet - we may still be in for a rocky road ahead. Don't let this little upturn turn you back to your old habits. Not yet anyway.