Sharing more goodies with YOU! (i.e. purging again)

I have not been posting about it, but the Great Summer Purge has turned into the Great Fall Purge--and I am really getting into some good stuff.  By that I mean I am starting to look at some really, really cool stuff with new eyes and realizing it might be really cool, but is not used and loved.  So it is OUTTA HERE.  And I must say, this most recent round of purging has left me more uplifted than any thus far;  while it is always freeing to release unneeded and unloved things into the world, it is a little bit harder to let go of things that you actually like, even if you never use them and they don't fit your family's lifestyle--and probably never will.  So while the emotional/psychological effort to decide to let it go is a little harder, the freedom you feel when you have so chosen is greater.  Ahhhhhhhh.

Yesterday was a breakthrough for us, and I owe it all to DH, who is NOT the purging type.  At all.  (Yes, there are quite a few things around here that are not being used/loved and are prime purge fodder, and remain only because they are his.  I'm pretty sure letting one's husband hold onto his never used but perceived priceless, um, stuff must be one of those love languages. ; ) 

So about, oh, two months ago, I decided I would pull all the furniture away from the long window at the back of our main room, to give it a thorough (and very necessary!) cleaning.  And while I was at it, I would wash the windows and paint the caulk on the windows my dad replaced about two years ago.  I got halfway done, and then, well, life and procrastination got the best of me.  I put back some of the pieces that usually reside along that wall under the window, but not all of them; in particular, I had moved the ancient TV and not so ancient VCR away, unplugging all their cables and cords in the process, which did not seem like a big deal at the time.  Later, when I had to concede that I was not going to be finishing the project anytime soon, but was sick and tired of the VCR and TV sitting on the floor in the middle of the house with the pile of cables mocking me from the corner, I realized my folly and despaired.

Ok, actually I think part of that decision to unplug everything and clear it away from the wall was also a wee bit subconscious wishful thinking:  we had been meaning to get rid of the TV for a long time, and had just saved it for watching videos.  The TV is so old and small by today's standards (16 inch screen, plastic "wood" panelled "cabinet,' and convenient built-in carrying handle on top--niiiice) that we once threw a movie night party--and our friends offered to bring their TV.  But it has been absolutely fine for our limited use, and we have no intentions of ever being big screen TV people anyway--well, at least in this house.  (We can't be big ANYTHING in this house.)  So we have kept it and used it at least monthly, which seemed to justify it in our home as a permanent fixture.

The VCR DH bought way back B.C. when our old one died is, in his opinion, "Possibly the best VCR ever made!"  It can do all kinds of fancy-schmancy editing stuff, even if we have never used any buttons other than play and rewind.  But he bought the best available at the time, figuring even 10 years ago that VHS was a dying format, so VCR machines would be hard to come by in the future, so we had better get a machine made to last.  (And his reasoning was sound--we researched its possible value tonight, and used models of our machine are being offered on eBay for $250!  Not bad for outdated technology.)

Anyway, the VCR was a good one, and useful, so my idea had been to keep the VCR, but get cables so we could hook it up to the computer, and nix the ancient TV.  That all changed when yesterday DH did some online searching and realized that the required cables might run $300.  Um, never mind.  Then DH did something completely unexpected and shocking--he suggested we just phase out our whole video collection, and get rid of the TV and VCR too.  I confess that even I, a hardened purger, gasped and said, "No!"  But two seconds later realized, What was I thinking?!  OF COURSE!!!!  We have absolutely no need for all those things.  I checked--every single one of the titles we are going to get rid of on VHS are available through Netflix.  Even the ones I would have been loath to part with, like my family's favorite growing up The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming!  (A comedy classic--go rent it.)  Or the films I kept because I used to teach them in my film classes, or which I wrote academic papers on, such as Dead Man Walking, The Crying Game, and The Color Purple.  All great movies, but why do I need to keep them on my shelf if I can watch them anytime through Netflix? 

Ok, The Russians Are Coming I might need to ask for on Blu-ray in my Christmas stocking--which DH wants to switch to, and explains why he, a natural hoarder, was so eager to part with our video collection and player. ; ) 

And I must say, the feeling of knowing we were getting rid of all those things was exhilarating.  Well, that and knowing I would not have to figure out how to replug all those cables and cords. 

So of course I wanted to share my joy and one of my treasures with YOU! 

Enchanted April is one of my all-time favorite movies.  If you enjoy slow, quietly meaningful period films, then you will love this.  I won't give a plot summary here, since you can get that and rave reviews here.   I will just say that the film has spoken profoundly to me over the past years, esp. into the beauty of female relationships, the strange and scary joy of choosing to love and trust your spouse, and the ways in which God uses us all in one another's lives to grow us and shape us into bold Lovers.  You have to approach this film with patience and eyes and mind ready to find meaning in small conversations, and the juxtaposition of pain and beauty, hurt and strength.  And the cinematography is stunning, esp. as the women are arranged in God's nature. 

All of you readers who think we share a common bond of such things of the spirit, I want to share this movie with you!  So if you have Netflix, add it to the top of your queue.  But if you do not have access to this movie and still use videos, then I want to send it to you!  So please leave a comment below, and I will happily send it to you this next week. 

And don't worry, my feelings will not be hurt if no one is interested.  I am putting the rest of the grown-up movies on  freecycle, and will just add this one to the bag if there are no takers here.  : ) 

But please do see it in some fashion!  And when you do, let me know, and I'll be thrilled.