Sloth - for - a - Day.....I mean Mother's Day

There are very few movies I have ever really wanted to own. Mainly because, there aren't that many films I want to watch more than once or twice. Once in theatres and maybe once more on video after that. I do have a few exceptions to this rule though. That's why a couple of weeks ago, I ordered myself a copy of 84 Charing Cross Road for my permanent collection. A Mother's Day gift to myself I reasoned. As luck would have it, the movie landed in my mailbox last Friday, just in time for the weekend. My plan was to remain in my pajamas on Sunday morning and watch it with my morning coffee. This always strikes me as quite decadent and does not happen often, especially not when the weather is good. Sunday morning was sunny but cool and crisp enough to give me my excuse to remain indoors and carry out my plan. The rest of the day would be equally lazy and decadent spent watching The Players Championship, while my husband and daughter catered to my every need. I never imagined my plan would materialize (not all of it anyway), but much to my amazement, it did. The movie, released in 1986 gave me as much or even more pleasure than it did the first time I watched it. Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins at their best. The story is clever, funny, romantic and heart-wrenching. I spent the last 15 minutes glassy-eyed and longing for more. For me, the movie speaks to enduring friendships and simple human kindness delivered by a script that is nothing short of poetic. I find this film as moving as a great piece of music or an epic novel. And now it's mine. Whenever I feel the need to re-visit the story and the characters, it will be at the ready. Just like my well-used copy of Out of Africa. Sometimes I just need a good cry and either of these movies are guaranteed tear-jerkers no matter how many times I see them. After the movie, I had to silence the little voice in my head that kept reminding me of the laundry that needed doing, the lawn that needed mowing and the myriad of other thankless tasks crying out for my attention. I was almost beginning to think, that being lazy was more difficult than the alternative. I actually had to work at it. Every time, I started to consider getting off my ass, I had to make a conscious effort to stop myself. At the end of the day, I'm not even sure I totally enjoyed the experience. The movie, yes, the golf, yes (as anti-climatic as it was) and certainly the lovely dinner that was prepared for me. I just don't do idle very well. Even when I am under the weather with a cold or flu, I get very antsy lounging around all day. I need to move. Even though I thought all I wanted was a day of complete down time, the reality was either the movie or the golf would have been more than enough. It was like eating the whole pint of Haagen Dazs when just a bowl would have done the trick. My self-imposed "sloth-for-a-day' marathon thankfully came to an end as I shuffled off to bed around 10 pm., feeling sluggish, but not really tired. It raises that age old cliche - "Be careful what you wish for....." From now on, I will.