Hospice For Aging Electronics

Our home is what I refer to as, "the hospice for aging and dying electronics." I recently bought an iPhone 4 from a friend for $35.00, which I don't use as a phone. I use it as a camera and an iPod-like device. It's been a very good, and less expensive, way to introduce myself to the smart phone format without having to pay the expensive monthly phone fee. That is what our flip phone is for, which elicits laughs of derision in some circles as well. We have 2 used Kindles, one which I bought at a yard sale. My kids each have a game boy, which are about 3 or 4 steps behind the current cool-kid device. They work well, and I've been able to gauge their interest in electronics for a lot less money than I would have paid for a tablet. We still watch VHS tapes on a VCR.

In addition to our compassionate use of aging devices, we also have a minimalist attitude when it comes to electronics used for entertainment; we also welcome all ages and kinds. We have a DVD player, and we finally upgraded our tv from the huge box model my husband bought sometime in the 90's. We have a flat screen, but it is tiny in comparison to most models. I also researched how to connect our lap top to our tv so we could watch something off the internet, and I figured out the necessary cables needed to make that happen. I am very proud of that, even though I know it is really not anything special.

There's a certain amount of peace that comes from keeping things simple and inexpensive, but this is sometimes lessened when I start to think about just how much I don't understand. I do what I can, and we enjoy them for as long as we can. :)