It's an Update Kind of Week

Being an English Teacher, I'm always looking for Themes. 

Maybe I'm biased, but to me Death is the most popular theme in English literature. I guess it's what we've all got in common with each other.

 I often like to Dress Thematically, you know like a Scottish Person or a Trekkie or something. Sometimes I like Dinner Party Conversation to have a theme, like 'Where Are They Now' or 'Therapy Through The Ages' or my personal favourite 'Ageing'. But rarely, if ever, do I have a theme on the blog.

But it seems that this week is an exception - I have a theme - Updates!

Yes, in Monday's post I gave a kind of update on Mr Ex-Middleaged and today's post is an update on January's obsession with 'Abundance Through Frugality'. You may or may not recall it. And Such a Timely Theme it was too, with the Financial Crisis or Recession, or maybe, Depression. 

Anyway, last year I embraced Frugality. I've always liked the Idea of Frugality, but I never cared for the Meanness that often went with it. My Grandmother & Great Aunt Essie always saved string which they kept in a kitchen drawer. In fact, I think String Saving was a v. popular pastime for folk who lived through The Great Depression. Not that my relatives were Mean. They absolutely weren't. But it was more that I always associated being frugal with Used String. 

And what a revelation it was to discover only last year that there was far more to Frugality than String . You may be surprised to learn that it opened me up to a Whole New World of Fun, Excitement, Challenge, & dare I say, Risk! 

You see, I'd always had a Shocking Attitude towards Money. If I had it, I'd just spend it. And then I'd be Gripped with Panic when an Important Bill would arrive & I couldn't pay it. Many's a year when I'd drive my car with Absolutely No Car Insurance because I didn't pay the bill. American Express finally took my card away after twenty-five years because I didn't pay the bill. And I couldn't go back to the Neurologist because I didn't pay the bill. Not that he deserved it. But that's a whole other story.

By now you're probably wondering what all this talk of shocking financial irresponsibility has got to do with the pictures that accompany the text. 

What would a picture of a small indoor forest, old linen tea towels, a wardrobe shot of me & then a picture of a woman in a bathing costume have to do with Frugality?

Well, the Indoor Forest is a current installation in my kitchen. Because I no longer buy flowers, I have to find other ways of having some Nature around . I often drag flowers & branches home that I find on the street. Lately, I've been asking Natalie, the School Gardener, who prunes every week, if I can take home some offcuts. This week she gave me The Small Forest. I'm so thrilled, but  sadly, the leaves have already begun to fall. 

Oh well, Everything's Temporary.

The tea towels are wonderful vintage ones that I found at 'Bednobs & Broomsticks' thrift shop. They're Irish Linen & of course I can't bring myself to use them. So I had to go to the supermarket & buy new ones. 

But it was a Good Try at Frugality.

Talking of 'Bednobs & Broomsticks', here's some cute shoes that I bought there recently for twelve bucks.  They were probably a half a size too small when I bought them, but because I have a Flexible Attitude towards Shoe Sizes I bought them anyway. Amazingly, they seemed to have Slightly Stretched, which is the first time that a shoe has ever done that for me. Thank you, Caring Shoes.

Oh, that's another thing about Abundance Through Frugality - I actually notice & appreciate what I get. And I feel grateful for everything. Before I wouldn't have even noticed.

Here we are at the last photo. I just love it. It's a picture of Hateful Hjordis, the wonderful actor David Niven's second wife who apparently could have been the original model for the Evil Stepmother in Hansel & Gretel. It was in last month's 'Vanity Fair' magazine. In the past, I spent literally hundreds of dollars a month buying magazines. I was obsessed & used the fact that I'm a collagist as an excuse to fuel my obsession. 

Now, I still get magazines but I don't pay for them.  I 'borrowed' the magazine from 'Zinc', my local cafe, photographed all the things that interested me & then took the magazine back to the cafe with no one the wiser. 

Next post or so, I'll tell you about my Adventures with Garbage in part two of 'Abundance Through Frugality- An Update'.