Hello! - now I get it...

For the life of me I could not understand the logic of being asked if I was on a diet by Dr. Endo on his questionnaire form - or for that matter if I was on the other thingamajig diet. (I mean he's a tooth man). Then it hit me - Halitosis! that's it - it has to be. They'll put H beside your name if you are on a diet and will know this one is definitely 'a DB case'. (double bib - in case one falls off) Makes sense now doesn't it? The other major thing of course is that dieting is such an expensive business - a credit status is needed first, to ascertain you can pay the Endo - no kidding!

Let's face it girls - Dieting is an expensive business - right? Milk shakes, protein shakes, diet meals, membership to weight loss clubs, gym that you visit for a week and then forget about it, having paid your fees, and of course that gorgeous dress you bought as an incentive - one day I'll fit into it - and never do! - not to mention the daily cappuccinos to give you a lift, having skipped your lunch. Skinny lattes are a lot less calories - right?

Then there is the weighing machine for dieter alone, the cheerleader weight loss magazines, the 'dieter moods' which fill you with both euphoria and gloom in the space of an hour. The euphoria one is worse because then you go out and buy clothes because you are looking and feeling so bloody fantastic. You go home and people are all shouting "WHERE WERE YA ALL THIS TIME?" - spending...you feel guilty - right? You cook a big huge supper to satisfy the troops and then YES - you pig out with them and that trousers you just bought will never in a month of Sundays fit you...Damn!

Yes - dieting is akin to a lobotomy - the only thing you lose are your brain cells, and spontaneous delight in a good meal (why should we always feel guilty after a feast?). When people remark how 'good' they were going to a restaurant and telling the waiter to leave the sauce off the meat and the bread on the side - insane! - if you cannot properly enjoy your food - why go out at all? Like it's not as if you get treated every day of the week, is it? and besides will the worms care if the corpse had sauce on the side - I doubt it! (actually they'd probably prefer if you had the sauce). Wake up World - we are slowly driving ourselves INSANE. Long ago people never dieted and they never had weight problems. Ahaa...I had a light bulb moment - the secret is smaller portions, food lasting longer...smaller shopping bills...I think I'm onto something here...

So all in all "are you on a diet?" is like asking 'are you krazy or not?' and yes, now I understand.

Vicky loved the 74c canned mushroom soup - couldn't tell the differnce between it and the usual $2.99 one I got. Interesting. I'm finding my new challenge very absorbing to say the least. Husband is delirious with joy and wants to go on a mad spending spree to celebrate 'the new me'. What's this weird thing going on? He wants to spend - and I want to save! All I like to talk about now is the price of this and the price of that. I keep a copy of 'How to manage your money' and 'The Wealthy Barber' beside my bed in full view. Financial experts maintain it is the best Aphrodisiac for a man - forget the baby dolls!

Hubby is in Vancouver this weekend at a conference. Normally when he is away we girls get a pizza to last the whole weekend, or a Chinese meal, that way I get to have a cooking-free weekend - kept me sane thus far. I didn't get a take-away this weekend - Did I miss it? Actually no. We watch all the girly stuff on t.v. - 'Get Away Fridays', 'World's Weirdest Homes' and all the make-over programs - 'Style by Jury' 'What not to wear', etc. - love Fridays. Vicky baked delicious oatmeal cookies with walnuts (left over after the banana muffins). She's becoming quite the cook now. That was another ambition of mine that the girls would take an interest in cooking - now that the cupboards are bare - there's no choice! We rummaged around the kitchen and found ingredients for at least six different kinds of yummy things to eat.

Simplicity - no fuss - joy in little things - a pleasant book - a big roaring fire - bedside tea - stroking an animal - putting outfits together - lighting a candle in the bedroom, and listening to Leonard Cohen as he puts you to sleep - saying a little night time prayer and giving thanks for the day just spent - Gratitude - YES that's a big SA thing - a little prayer for your deceased friends and looking at their smiling faces before you fall asleep - taking a walk in the garden and watching all the new springs buds emerging (and knowing you wont have to pay for daffodils!). These are a few of my favourite things... when the world bites, when the neighbour stings, I simply remember my favourite things, and then I don't feel so bad!

I remember some time ago I girl I know told me she had a huge chocolate urge one night so her daughter and herself made a chocolate cake. I was hugely impressed (this girl is always very very sensible). If I had a chocolate urge - I would have gone down to the shops and got a 'quick fix'.

The world is changing. The birds are singing in chorus outside - laughter fills the air - (that's the kids saying I'll be back to normal by Monday!) Seriously -even the weather is getting better to please me! - Why soon I'll be able to grow my own spuds, tomatoes, berries and broccoli again...la di da...The devil calls me 'Polyanna' now. He chides and reminds me I never did a day's gardening in my life - that's hubby's baby. Well at least I cook the stuff he produces, and I clean the filth and mess around the sink and floor that all this organic stuff brings in - not to mention the crawling worms and maggots - Jeez I dunno why I do it. Give me pre-washed supermarket veggies in bags any day!

It sure felt like the Universe was conspiring to make it happen today. Claudia treated me to a complimentary Starbucks on her Starbucks card (b/day present from somebody). I accepted her offer as it made the two of us feel good. So after I dropped the girls into town where they were going to see a movie, I treated myself to the coffee from Claudia. I told myself that if I found money on the street, that would be a good luck sign and lo and behold! - before my very eyes, a bright silver toonie ($2) smiled back at me from the road 'take me I'm yours' it said. That shall be my lucky cheerleader toonie for the year ahead.

For the first time ever, if you were to ask me how much a loaf of bread is, I could tell you - even know the price of a litre of milk now. This is so much bloody fun - all the years I wasted and all the money - damn! I knew I'd be a dab hand at this! - O.K. Mr. Devil - I'm quite aware - thank you very much - that it is early days yet, and that it is only 3 weeks since I had a mad splurge in the Orlando Designer Outlets - enough stuff to last the next decade at least. Tomorrow ends the first full week of YOSA. Am I happy with the way things went? YES YES YES. I haven't really got into the full deal YOSA yet as I was too busy this week learning how to behave like a grown up in the supermarket - not to mention wrestling with the devil who is determined to put a spanner in the works - will he win? Now that is a question neither you or I know, at this point in time.

Tomorrow I will also tot up all my savings, share a healthy and inexpensive recipe with you, which I cooked last night - Vege Lasagne. Enough to last two nights and only cost approx. $12 to make, and has 8 generous portions...so keep an eye on this space. It is also super healthy.

Over the course of our journey together, I will share some wardrobe tips...my best consignment wear outfits, the good days and the not so good days of SWP,(shopaholic withdrawal pain), my favourite simple abundance tips - and more...much more. I am determined to prove to myself and y'all - that sure, the world is clearly changing economically - but it is a change for the better! If you lose your job - it may be the start of something better. God does not close one door - without opening another.

On that hopeful note,

Nighty night wherever you are...

Delisha xxx