I am at once relieved that I am nowhere near this point of chaos, and at the same time terrified that I could get to this state if I do not keep up the effort to conduct periodic purges. The older I get, the more I have experienced regret at parting with various items, everything from the sentimental, such as old letters, to the utilitarian, such as boxes, bottles, or miscellaneous junk when a use for them surfaces and I find they have been discarded. So it grows harder and harder to toss stuff without second thoughts. I become really angry with the "organizers" in some episodes who fling the hoarders' useful and unsoiled belongings into a dumpster rather than use a "FREE" sign at curbside, list on freecycle, or take to a thrift store. Also these "organizers" seem to have no notion of the meaning of sentimental and irreplacable. I think the most egregious examples were talking a woman into parting with a beautiful vintage rocking horse in mint condition that was the first toy she had given her baby son long ago. It was lovely, original, sentimental, and should have stayed as a centerpiece in her livingroom. They would not have wrested that treasure from me, I can assure you! Also convincing a lady to toss her photographic negatives into the trash because she had prints of them in a photo album really took the cake. As if the photographic dyes would never fade or the need for another clear original never surface. My blood boils at the thought. Talk about irreplacable. On the other hand I've lost beloved items in the clutter when I've really let things go - never permanently, they have resurfaced, but it gives me pause. I think everyone has a different comfort level for clutter. When I cleaned out the spare room a few years back, the result was so stark and desolate and I quickly replaced some pictures on the wall and other stuff that I had removed. Now the junk in that room is piling up again and it's time to de-clutter again, but this time I won't be so thorough. My comfort level definitely requires lots of colorful furnishings and an abundance of pet hair (and pets)in every room with most wall space covered with pictures and shelves crammed with knick knacks to feel like home.

I just finished watching her final show, I found it not boring at all; it was a recap of what her 25 years have been and it was like reading a book of lessons in life, I've read my fair share of spiritual and self help books and even at 59, I struggle with certain issues and wonder when I'll ever really "get" it. She gives me hope to keep at it and be what I can be, to find my meaning in life. Oprah said it all, in a humble and loving way, I personally do not doubt her sincerety. She's no different than she was 25 years ago, down to earth and wiser than she was then, and certainly richer ( good for her) but she gives credit to everyone she's learned from, it's the essence of what shaped her. She's a true succcess story in my book, one of a kind.

Sweetheart, listen to yourself. You're making excuses for your husband's sh!tty behaviour, because he tells you there's nothing wrong. (As Scarlett said, HE has no problem, so from his POV there is no problem.) And ignoring a wife's pain, and refusing to discuss serious, relationship-threatening issues with her, in favour of what is essentially an affair with the internet, is sh!tty behaviour. What a controlling creep he is. He's got you right where he wants you, under his thumb where he can do whatever he wants, and you will think everything he does must be right, and if you don't think it is, well then, that's your fault somehow. You "don't want him to be unhappy." You don't want to "hurt him very badly." What about _your_ wants and needs? Why are you putting up with unhappiness, poor self esteem and "crying yourself to sleep" to avoid hurting _his_ feelings, when his behaviour is the source of that unhappiness? You say that otherwise he loves you, but does he _truly_ love you when he is seemingly OK with your unhappiness, and refuses to do anything to change that? Occasional, grudging sex that he implies is a "chore" is _not_ loving. When he tells you, "it's not you, it's him", believe him! There's something wrong with him, he knows it, he's not going to discuss it and he believes if he pretends that all is well it will be. Well, it's not. He needs to bite the bullet and do something towards fixing the problem. He is _not_ unique. Whatever ails him is probably also happening to thousands of other men out there. If you don't believe there's someone else out there you could love as much, you're mistaken.

The show that I really like is Bang For Your Buck. On BFYB the camera takes its time and actually shows whole rooms and details with a well-photographed and easy eye. No jarring editing. No dumb "reveal." The owners explain why they remodeled as they did, how and why they made their decisions, what worked and what didn't, etc. Then the designers come in and critique the rooms. Of course, they're supposed to find something wrong, so they always do, even if it's silly. But you actually have a serious discussion of a room by two separate parties. I don't actually care much who got the biggest "bang", but I've gotten a lot of decorating ideas. Love HouseHunters just for choosing the house I like best and guessing which was the one chosen. Some of the stories on HH are very moving. Unless, of course, it's some 20-something whippersnapper who whines about granite or looks at a perfectly usable bathroom and says "dated". In that case, like some other posters here, I yell at him/her to go live in a village in Afghanistan or Iran, where the toilets are literally a hole in the floor (or the ground). Sometimes we don't realize how great our lives are! As an English teacher and cranky grammar-nanny, I do blame HGTV for its cruel assault on our beautiful language. However, I'll spare the forum my lecture. :o)