Waste Not by Susan L.

  The guest room is now tidy. The mountain of renovation displacement objects which graced the bed are all put away. My sewing paraphernalia is organized in the Hoosier cupboard now residing in the closet. A trip to the dump got rid of the bags of garbage that were waiting patiently in my room, most of which was Styrofoam packing from the fireplace and TV. The items for the second hand store are piled by the back door for donating on Tuesday.
  I had a big box of VHS tapes that went to the dump as well. There was a bit of a twinge in my heart as I ruthlessly emptied the box. (Which was recycled.) A good whack of them were Disney favorites that had entertained my children and I for years. Good memories. Most of the tapes were tired and grainy anyways and not having a VCR to watch them on made hanging on to them rather pointless.
  An idea of making macramé plant hangers from the tape played around in my head. It's strong stuff. I'd even kept a couple of them aside for that purpose. With a dose of truth I realized that's not going to happen so they all went to the dump.
  There's women who crochet sleeping mats out of old plastic bags to ship to third world countries. I wondered why they didn't use video tape but realized there's probably too many harsh chemical elements in it.
  The Re-Store wouldn't take my little computer desk. I guess laptops have replaced a lot of full sized computers. It got wheeled out to the end of the driveway yesterday and it's gone today. Glad someone has a use for it!
  My new TV had an extra charge, what the government calls an environmental fee, supposedly to offset the cost of disposal. It annoyed me because the sixteen dollar fee then had sales tax applied to it. Taxing a tax in true Canadian fashion. My old TV went to a local who earns a bit of money recycling old electronics at no charge to anyone. No government necessary! Grrr!
  In purging my home, I have tried to keep the garbage to a minimum: recycling, re-using, re-purposing or donating where possible. Which reminds me, I need to call the scrap metal guy to come and pick up the pile in my driveway before the snow flies!
  "Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us." 1 Cor 5:7