Good Movies, Good Books

I am so thankful that we don't have cable, satelite, or even an antenna for television. We were sitting in the food court tonight eating our dinner (Taco Bell once again) and I noticed that the televisions were on and it was the news. I haven't watched the news since December of 2006, no commercials since then, it's been great! Then I realized that when we go back to the states within the next year that we will have all that crap on our television again. We have watched some great movies and tv series since we got here. We haven't had to listen to the girls ask for this toy or that electronic gadget. We thought it would be culture shock coming here to Italy and seeing more than we want to see on tv, but since we are not connected to any of it we don't. I think we will be more culture shocked when we return to the states because of all the commercials and news.

I am so thankful for DVDs. They come in all kinds, tv series, movies, cartoons, commentaries, biographies, sports, daytime dramas and even nighttime dramas. We have also found the joy of the old tv series from when we were children, Waltons, Little House on the Prairie, Knight Rider, Dallas, Knots Landing, and several others. Kaitlyns absolutely LOVES the old black and white shows, Three Stooges, I Love Lucy, and the Bing Crosby and Bob Hope movies.

Now I just wish we had all the space for all of these DVDs. We have discovered that if we put them in the Disc Organizers that we get lots more room. When we first moved over here we had DVDs that filled one five shelf bookcase, now we have we have them two deep and overflowing. So Wendy as good of an organizer that she is has taken all the movies and put them in those organizers and cut down on the space, because we are overflowing on books as well.

I love to read, as does the girls. I can't go into a bookstore without buying a book. The school book sales during parent teacher converences I spend way too much, but there are great books at great prices, (especially when they give me a discount because I spend so much). We have two five shelf bookcases that are two deep full of books and overflowing. Wendy has her own library, so does Kaitlyn. Aimee has one too but hers is mainly comic books, ya know the Manga kind). Many series of books I can read over and over again. That's how much I love books. I have discovered genres that I would have never read ten or even five years ago.

I have not seen Dave pick up a book for enjoyment, he prefers the DVD. If it doesn't come in DVD form forget it. But he is so good to us and doesn't say anything about the many books we buy or the DVDs even. His favorite genre right now is horror flicks. We're talking the OLD 1960-1970 stupid horror flicks. He watches those and then says, "we paid to see this movie at the theater. The acting is horrible." Oh well, it gives him pleasure and he doesn't make me feel bad that I buy so many books.