What to do for my birthday?

I find myself in a quandary.  What am I going to do for my birthday on the 27th?  My friends have asked me and there is clearly an expectation on their part, albeit small,  (and mine) that I mark the day in some way. Last year was a big birthday and I had a wonderful party with lots of dear friends and this year seems to feel a bit more of an anti-climax.

I spent a little while today thinking of what I might like to do.  Everything I thought of involved food.  I think this is because I am on a new eating regime.  I am loathe to say diet, since I vowed last year not to put myself through the tyranny of another diet, but that's really what it is.  I've gained lots of weight this winter and finallly reached ENOUGH.  This is a good thing. I was almost waiting for the ENOUGH point to be reached, since I knew it was only a matter of time before I stopped stuffing my face with unhealthy food.  It felt like the time I stopped smoking.  I knew I was going to stop.  It was an inevitable decision, but I carried on smokling for another year or so after I knew I would stop.  It's been five years since I stopped smoking and I can hardly remember being a smoker.

Food is slightly different.  I can hardly go cold turkey on food.  So I am eating very heathily and obsessing about cheesecake!  I am certain this is why, whenever I think about my birthday, all I can come up with is visions of restaurants, four course meals, desserts and other food fantasies.  And yet, this is not really what I want for this year.

Funny, I never thought I would get to a point in my life where I can't think of what I'd like to do on my birthday.  I certainly don't NEED anything.  Whenever I declare that I don't need anything, I remember my aunt Roszka and something she said to me about 15 years ago.  We had gone out shopping together and she was a great shopper.  She was a clothing designer and had a great eye for style, elegance and also an eye for a bargain.  She pointed me in the direction of some wonderful shoes that were reduced to about half price.  I looked at the shoes, tried them on and they fit, but I decided I didn't really need them.  My aunt looked at me as if I had lost my mind and said, "Need?! Need doesn't come into this, as long as you have breath in your body you need things".  My aunt then went on to advise me that if I was worried about bringing home yet another unnecessary pair of shoes, I was welcome to hide them in her closet for a few weeks, after which time I could honestly take them out and when asked say, 'no, they're not new, I've had them for quite a while!' I always remember this advice from my 75 year old aunt when I'm shopping though more and more I have to admit that I need less and less.

Those who know me know that I shop almost exclusively at charity and thrift shops.  I love doing this and can almost always spot something worth owning.  Worringly though, in the past few months, I have held items in my hands in these shops and put them back without buying. Often these are great designer clothes, wonderful bargains, but I have looked at them and admitted that there was no need to buy them.  Is this a new trend?  Am I reaching a point of ENOUGH on possessions?  Oh my god, I hope not because it's still fun.

Meanwhile, back to my birthday.  i want to mark the day, to do something, get presents, celebrate in some way, but so far I have no ideas.  I still have 11 days.  Plenty of time to come up with an idea.