self-indulgence

It's been rather a long time since I last posted here, but I've had such a fantastic weekend, I thought I'd log on again. We had 10 people for dinner on Saturday (yes, we were very hungry - ha ha) and after a long lie-in on Sunday went for a nice long walk in the park, cream teas and lazing in the sunshine with friends. Absolute bliss and with the most wonderful company.

I've largely been trying to stick to the no new shoes lifestyle as much as possible lately. Mainly, I confess, because of a distinct lack of funds (in one month I had a triple whammy of Car tax, insurance and MOT) rather than a new-found love of asceticism. That said, much stocking-up had to be done for the weekend, on all the best kinds of things - soft-drinks, wine, snacks and all the necessary ingredients for a decent paella. It wasn't particularly expensive, but not exactly in line with the moderate lifestyle encouraged by no new shoes. But worth every penny. It's not so much the food and drink, but the fact that it provided the setting to enjoy each other's company and share time together, which can be fairly rare.

One great thing about the no new shoes project is that it has helped me to think more about what is actually worth spending money on. Those things that can seem dreadfully self-indulgent (and often have that happy side-effect) are sometimes really worth while. (Of course, often, they're not. I suppose the trick is to know the difference - one I haven't quite mastered yet!).