September is the month that our family "celebrates" no cable TV and gives thanks to our public library system, espcially Ann Arbor's District Library (AADL) http://www.aadl.org/
When we moved to Ann Arbor 6 years ago, we bought the new-to-town bundled Comcast or AT&T package which let us have basic cable TV relatively cheap. We justified the expense that our four children would be watching the Discovery Channel, maybe National Geographic, The Learning Channel...but no. The children gravitated to the Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, movie channels etc. and they asked constantly for things advertized during the many commercial breaks.
Then the package ran out and there were no good cheap alternatives. And let me say that I don't have a problem with TV as entertainment, it was the constant commercials that made me crazy - cereal, juice, toys, movies etc....I want that, buy me this, Mom, MOM, loook!
About that same time, we finally realized how much our local library has to offer. So just like selling the cars for scrap, we QUIT cable TV. And my sanity returned.
The AADL has it all for us - lectures, books, movies, music, art, etc..and the AADL has become our primary entertainer. We don't eat out very often, rarely buy books, and "never" go out to the movies - we get all our entertainment from the library.
The really cool thing that I love about AADL is the online reservation process. I go to the online catalogue and place a hold on whatever my little heart desires. When it's my turn for the materials, the library ships it over to my home branch and it's waiting for us on a shelf, ready for check out. The AADL does a great job of obtaining copies of all the lates books, music, and movies. And I don't have to listen to the kids react to commercials anymore.
Happy reads
Astrid
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