GUILTY AS CHARGED

     I'M HARDLY ONE TO SPEND OR BUY MANY THINGS FOR MYSELF. BIG PURCHASES ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN. HOWEVER, I HAVE BEEN BUYING A LOT OF CLOTHES AS OF LATE, ALBEIT WITH GREAT DEALS AND SAVINGS--THRIFT-SHOPPING, EVEN, SOMETHING MY BEST FRIEND GOT ME INTO LAST SUMMER (THANK YOU!). ON THAT NOTE, I LOVE THRIFT-SHOPPING. IT TAKES TIMES OF COURSE, AND THAT'S PART OF THE FUN, BUT PUTTING IN TIME HAS SURELY YIELDED GREAT RESULTS. OH THE STEALS I'VE COME ACROSS! I MIGHT EVEN HAVE A POST DEDICATED TO THRIFT-SHOPPING! ANY WAY, IT'S QUITE A FEELING TO SEE THE RESULTS OF MY BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS IN A TANGIBLE FORM, PARTICULARLY IN THE FORM OF CLOTHES. WITH THE WAY I WAS RAISED, I'M ACCUSTOMED TO HAVING THE SAME THINGS FOR A LONG TIME, TAKING CARE OF THOSE THINGS, MAKING THEM LAST, SO THE UPDATING OF THE WARDROBE--SOMETHING I HAVEN'T DONE IN A LONG TIME--HAS BEEN A BREATH OF FRESH AIR, TRULY INVIGORATING. PERHAPS I'VE BEEN HOLDING OUT ON MYSELF FOR FAR TOO LONG. PERHAPS THOSE PURCHASES FOR MYSELF HAVE BEEN BUT A LONG-AWAITED, WELL-DESERVED REWARD; AND HOW OFTEN DO I REWARD MYSELF? HARDLY. OF THAT, I'M GUILTY AS CHARGED...