The Perfect Belt

There are exceptional moments when thriftiness has to fall by the wayside. You can ask Jacob, it's true, I make up my own rules as I go. I am referring to what I purchased on the internet yesterday and cannot deny the humor and hypocrisy of it. For his (my husband's) flight school graduation I went to Dillard's and found a beautiful dress on the clearance rack. I even managed to haggle an extra 10% off because the waisted belt that came with it was the wrong size (not to mention it was patent leather and hideous and I didn't want it anyway). In total, I spent a little over $30.00 for this black Gianni Binni dress with a pencil skirt and sophisticated sweetheart neckline.

In my mind I had images, as I think most women do, of what the complete outfit should entail. Animal print just will not leave my fashion thoughts alone these days, so I was fixated on finding a skinny waist belt with such a print. I have looked for weeks now, (the graduation is not until February, mind you) on the hunt for just the right thing. It was as if I could not rest until the matter was settled and the outfit was complete and before my very own eyes. Yesterday, I perused online, immediately finding what I was looking for on the Ann Taylor website. The belt was $38. The belt was more expensive than the dress. I didn't care. I paid for that expensive belt and that ludicrous $12.95 shipping with only a very slight hesitation. Altogether, that belt cost me $60. Is that ridiculous? I think it is. I think it is ridiculous that I pride myself on such frugality and then display that sort of behavior.

However, every once in awhile breaking up the monotony of the routine is a good thing. As I have come to find this past year, practicality can lead to low and dull places. The insensible is sometimes the most sensible choice there is.

Public shopping areas have me feeling the Christmas spirit. I feel ready to dig out the tree and the ornaments and get to it. There is nothing better than snuggling up and reading a book or watching TV by Christmas tree light. Usually I would say I would start decorating after Thanksgiving, but we won't be here. Also, we leave to visit family for two weeks out of the Christmas season. A radio station I was listening to last night asked the question, "How early is too early for Christmas decorations?" I only heard one answer and the man said, "When the trick-or-treaters start singing Christmas carols". I am assuming this is a clever little expression he made up on his own to convey his point. Trick-or-treaters don't sing Christmas songs to me. Although, the last two years we haven't had any trick-or-treaters. So maybe I don't even really know what's going on out there.

Anyway, I think I am going to put the decorations up soon. We have Xbox live radio and I am going to look for a station that plays Christmas music. It may not exist, but I will look anyway, and if it does exist, it will be playing as I happily hang wreaths and piece together our artificial and prelit Douglas-fir.

As I went to make the coffee this morning, I thought to myself, "I wonder if I will still be using these coffee filters when we live in Kansas". Oh the feelings, emotions, and events I will encounter just going through that one package of filters. I will reach into that plastic wrapping and grab a brown natural brew paper lining each day, slightly altered by the experiences of the day before. I will be the same person with ever changing circumstances. All of us are moving forward at a pace we cannot detect from moment to moment, but it is a constant movement that cannot be stopped, reversed, or slowed. That is what I think when I see the coffee filters.