Living Chronically Ill, but Still Mostly Vintage

I apologize for not posting as regularly on Instagram and Facebook the past few days! Sometimes, the effects of chronic illness just hit harder than usual. This entire week was one of those times.

One of the plans I’ve made for the new year is to post more about my vintage/film-related adventures: antique stores I visit, movies I see on the big screen, etc. After all, when I first began Living Mostly Vintage, I intended for it to be a film-slash-vintage-lifestyle account.

But this past week raised the question: What happens when you feel less like you're “living mostly vintage” and more like you're “only mostly living?”*

*Although, Merriam Webster does say some synonyms for "vintage" include "moth-eaten," "out-worn," and "fossilized," so "Living Mostly Vintage" is technically still accurate.

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Okay, I’m being a bit dramatic, but the question remains.

The answer? You can still Live Mostly Vintage. You just gotta live a bit differently.

So how am I living this week?

I’m living amongst my movies.

I’ve found that I just like to sit in my room with my DVDs. I like reading their spines individually, and then zooming out and admiring how they look with their shelf/shoebox/basket companions. I’ll occasionally rearrange things, but mostly I’m just existing with them. It calms me down and fills me up, as though I'm with good friends. I'll refrain from telling you that I talk to them sometimes, because you'll probably think I'm crazy. (And you'd be right.)

I’m living for online window shopping.

I still have a couple Amazon gift cards I got from graduation a few years ago, so I’m trying to think of some Criterion DVDs I’d like to have. I don’t know if it’s just me, but it seems like Criterion has been going out of stock of several movies (both on Amazon and their website) in the last couple months, especially the regular (non Blu-ray) editions. It also seems that the regular ones are becoming more expensive, when back in the day, it used to be the other way around. I’m vaguely aware that there’s a general shift happening toward an exclusively Blu-ray world, and I wonder if this is further evidence of that. That makes me a bit sad. I like having the choice, instead of being forced to use a particular format.

Anyways, today I’ve been going down the rabbit hole of trying to find a cheap version of the Complete Jacques Tati Collection. (Good luck with that, Becca!) I haven’t been able to find anyone selling it for cheaper than 85 dollars. Yikes! Our library only has Mon Oncle, but I’d love to see Tati’s other films. Arguably, I could rent them or buy digital versions, but I’ve always felt that if I’m going to pay money for them anyways, I’d rather own physical copies.

I’ve living for Spencer Tracy’s face.

As you might expect, I’ve been parked in front of the TV pretty much all week. I watched two more Tracy/Hepburn movies (Without Love and Woman of the Year); one of which I loved, and one of which I wasn’t as much a fan of. I’ll be making a post hopefully soon about all four of their films I watched in the last couple weeks. Also, I just want to say that Spencer Tracy is one of the most beautiful men of all time. I could say more, but he deserves his own post. Keep an eye out.

I’ve been living slightly scandalously…

The watching/rewatching of all the James Bond movies continues! (This is another topic I plan on making a post [or series of posts] about.) If you’re following me on Instagram or Facebook, you probably know that although I’m a Roger Moore girl at my core, lately I’ve been flirting with Sean Connery a little bit. (Just a little bit, I promise.)

…But I’m always living for wholesome content, too.

Who knows why a mood or feeling strikes when it does? For some reason, I’ve been playing a lot of vintage Disney music this week. You really can’t beat the music or animation of the Golden and Silver ages.

My parents and I have also been enjoying the newest season of All Creatures Great and Small. It’s so refreshing to know they’re still capable of making (or in this case, remaking) content that’s gentle and wholesome. I’d say more about the show, but I don’t want to spoil it for those who aren’t caught up yet!

I'm living contentedly.

Since I couldn’t move around much, it was a pretty low-key week. It was a nice excuse to slow down, as well as a reminder to appreciate when I’m able to do more on the good days. But I've learned that even when I'm fucntioning at low capacity, a movie or show can always bring some joy into my life.

So no matter where you're at, I'm praying that you find some joy and peace as you head into this week.

Keep living vintage. Keep living!

Becca