A not quite so epic fail

(Note: This was a blog post that I found in my drafts.  For some reason it never posted even though I wrote it over a year ago.  Somehow I missed it, but I find that I really enjoyed it, so I decided to upload it just for fun.  I think the message is something I need to remind myself of periodically.)

As you may have noticed I didn't blog at all this weekend.  No recipes.  No message on spirituality.  I completely dropped the ball on my Grand Plan to blog every day for the summer.  I will not beat myself up over it.  I'll just keep moving on.  This weekend was busy.  I worked both Saturday and Sunday and then had to do all the things I formerly had always accomplished on the weekends like the weekly grocery shopping, trip to Target, spending time with my kids and spouse.  A busy, but pleasant weekend. 

Today starts the made countdown to the end of an era.  The final Harry Potter movie is released at midnight on Friday (or Thursday - however you want to view it).  We won't be seeing it until the 12:15 showing so it really will be Friday when we see it.  I'm dressing as Professor Sprout, although I still have to dye my witchy robes and finish making my hat.  My son is going as Random Hufflepuff Quidditch Fan Number 27.  My younger daughter is dressing as Gilderoy Lockhart, complete with a copy of Magical Me.  My older daughter and spouse are not dressing up.  The spouse doesn't get into the entire "dressing up for movies" thing and my oldest child says that she is "too sad to dress up."  I think she's being too melodramatic.  I do understand that she is sad.  She's grown up with Harry.  She was 8 when she read the first book and fell in love with the Wizarding World.  She has had a Harry Potter birthday almost every year since she turned 9 thanks to the release of a book or movie around her birthday.  She watched Mugglenet grow from a strange little blog to this large monstrosity.  She's read every book at least four times and watched ever movie at least ten times.  She has dressed as Tonks, Bellatrix, Hermione, Rita Skeeter (my favorite of all her costumes) and Random Ravenclaw Student Number 2 (her best friend went as Random Ravenclaw Student Number 1 and her sister as Random Ravenclaw Student Number 3).  Part of me truly understands how she is depressed and can't put energy into a costume, but the other part of me can't figure out for the life of me why she would pass up on this one last opportunity to be part of the excitement. 

So I didn't blog.  Sue me.  I can live with missing two days.  And I'll probably miss other days as well.  I'm ok with that.  At first I was a bit upset that I had let myself (mostly) and my readers (hey you three) down.  I was going to offer up some sort of penance.  I was going to lash myself with a cat-o-nine tails made of Red Heart Super Saver.  I was going to jab size 000 DPN's under my skin until I howled with pain.  But then I realized, that it was just a blog.  It wasn't the Harry Potter world ending.  It wasn't the last of a series of really fun movies.  It wasn't Voldemort swooping down to enslave Muggles.  It was just a blog.  Not an epic fail.  Just a couple thousand (if that) words on a computer screen.  It wasn't going to end wars or establish peace.  It was just a blog.

A weekend of wonderful movies

This weekend was the opening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2.  It was "the end" of an epic story.  It was fabulous and I cried and laughed and smiled and cheered and then cried some more.  I loved it and will be going to see it again on Tuesday.  Competing against this summer block buster (that broke tons of weekend opening records) was a quaint little film called Winnie the Pooh.  My children asked to go.  I obliged.  I was not disappointed.  I cheered, I laughed, I smiled, and I even got a bit weepy a time or two.  It was fabulous and reminded me of the Pooh that I had grown up, even with John Cleese doing the narration.  I felt like I was eight years old again sitting in my pajamas watching Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Pot.  Christopher Robin was perfect, Pooh (still voiced by Jim Cummings who has done the voice since Sterling Halloway passed away in 1992 and in all honestly I can't tell the difference).  Eeyore was lovable and Tigger was bounceable as always. 

But the big movie this weekend was Harry Potter.  I can't believe how blown away I was by the movie.  I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and I felt complete at the end.  I didn't feel that there was anything left out that was very important.  I cried when they crowd at Hogwarts realized that Harry wasn't dead and George turned to his now absent twin to tell him.  I cheered when Molly defended her daughter.  I whooped when Neville beheaded Nagini!  But most of the time I was gripping my middle child's hand as she grasped mine and neither of us daring to breathe.  Both of us glancing at each other as we feared what we knew was coming.

The night was hot, but it didn't stop people from dressing up and being jubilant in line.  Even I dressed as Professor Sprout (that's my hat to the left).  I was accompanied by a Hufflepuff student and Gilderoy Lockhart.  It was fun and festive and I'll miss getting to do it again next year.  It still hasn't set in that there aren't any more movies coming out.  But for the past nine and a half years we have enjoyed seeing the movies and getting to be part of the Harry Potter world.  I look forward to Pottermore and can't wait to see what all that will hold for us.

Until then we will just have to go see other movies.  On my agenda for this fall are the following:  Hugo (based on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret), Sherlock Holmes (yay!), Captain America, Cowboys versus Aliens, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Three Musketeers (I'm a sucker for period pieces), The Muppets (come on, it's the Muppets!), Coriolanus (Ralph Fienes and Shakespeare; do I need to say more), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (without subtitles this time!), and War Horse.  So let's go to the movies!

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Wonderful Wizarding World

I told you this was going to be a week of Harry Potter.  I can't  possibly review all seven books (in any reasonable amount of time).  I can't even pick one book that I can say is my favorite.  I love them all for one reason or another.  I love Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone because it introduces us to Harry and this wonderful world that J.K. Rowling created in her mind.  Chamber of Secrets is probably the least of my favorites, but only because I find Gilderoy Lockhart so annoyingly vain, but we are introduced to the Horcruxes even though we don't really know it yet and the lovable Dobby.  Prisoner of Azkaban brings us the affectionate characters of Remus J. Lupin and Sirius Black (oh and  of course Buckbeak).  Goblet of Fire, broadens the wizarding world by bringing in more countries and gets us back on track with the reality of Voldemort.  Order of the Phoenix shows us the young characters truly growing up with Harry realizing that he can be a leader.  Half Blood Prince finally shows us the Horcruxes and how important they are.  It sets us up for the challenge that is ahead in Deathly Hallows. 

J.K. Rowling has written this fantastical children's series that is loved by people of all ages.  I know people in their eighties who adore these books.  My two younger children were listening to them when they weren't quite old enough to read them for themselves, fascinated by the imagery.  As they grew old enough to not freak out, they came to the movies.  As I mentioned yesterday, these books are timeless and will be loved by children (and adults) for generations.  I wonder if she knew, as she wrote these books, who all would fall in love with this world and be sobbing on July 15, 2011 as they sit in the audience to watch the final movie.  I can't imagine that she did. 

These books can bring about such emotion.  I have laughed and cried and sighed and had my heart swoon as I read these books.  I smiled with delight and became angry for various characters that I felt were wronged.  I mourned death and celebrated new life.  I even threw Deathly Hallows across the room in anger when I thought Jo had killed off my favorite character.  It took my family nearly an hour to get me to pick the book back up and turn the page to know that Hagrid wasn't truly dead.  I have loved every minute that I have spent reading these books and not once have I been bored.  I don't know that I can say that about any other book I've ever read.  There have been times that I sort of skimmed through sections of books, but not with any of the Harry Potter books.  I didn't dare.  Rowling had a wonderful ability to be able to make everything interesting and important.

You may be thinking that I have found no faults at all in these books.  I have, but they have been so minor that I can ignore them.  There are things I wish I had seen more of, places I wish I could have just explored, characters that I want more back story.  But those are personal grievances and not necessary to the plot.  They may be in little notes scattered on Rowling's desk or locked up in her mind. 

There have been no other books that have made me want to be a part of that world as much as Harry Potter.  The only other fictional place I would want to truly live rather than Ottery St. Catchpole (because I would be friends with the Weasleys and the Lovegoods) is The Shire from Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and Hobbit books.  I want to go to Diagon Alley and go shopping.  I want to have a pint of butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks.  I wanted to attend Hogwarts, damn it!  My children each cried the autumns of their eleventh birthdays because they didn't get their letters. 

I am sad today because this is kind of the end of everything for Harry Potter.  There will be no more midnight book or movie releases.  No more known opportunities to dress up as Professor Sprout (or Molly Weasley) and go into public.  It's over.  It's the end.  It's final as of midnight tonight.  But I have hope.  I have hope that somehow Harry Potter will still be an important part of our lives.  I'm excited for PotterMore.  I've submitted  my e-mail in case I am one of those lucky few who get in before the October official opening.  But today is sad.  And I blame J.K. Rowling for creating such fantastic books that have wrought this emotion on this day.

The Knitting in Harry Potter

(Yes, to answer your question, Harry Potter is probably going to appear in every post this week, so get over it, thank you very much.)  If someone had asked me who my absolutely favorite character is in the Harry Potter series, they might be surprised by me answering with Rubeus Hagrid, keeper of keys and game keeper at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  What?  Not Molly?  Not Severus (especially when played by Alan Rickman)?  Not Dobby?  Not Lupin?  Not Hermione?  Nope.  It's Hagrid. 

Let me explain.  Yes, I am very much like Molly.  I have a bunch of kids (not as many as Molly, but more than the average American household).  I am married to a geek (and let's face it, Arthur is a wizard geek).  I knit and do other domestic things.  I am fiercely loyal to my family and somewhat doting and we both knit.  But as much as I love Molly.  As sexy and endearing as I find Professor Snape.  As adorable and courageous as I find Dobby.  As caring and understanding as I find Remus.  As smart and confidant as I find Hermione, it is Hagrid that takes top spot. 

It began when Hagrid pulled out a large bit of knitting that somewhat resembled a circus tent and began knitting on the train with Harry on their way to Diagon Alley.  Here was this huge half-giant with large hands and fat fingers (at least in my mind) sitting with a pair of 4.5mm needles (at least in my mind) knitting a ... and that's when the mind goes blank.  I've toyed with everything from a jumper to a hut cozy to a thestral blanket.  But he was knitting.  He was the first character we encounter with mention of knitting.

Lots of character knit, though.  Molly (duh) and most likely Ginny (and I even can see Bill knowing how for some reason).  Hermione knits.  Later we find that Dobby has learned the craft (or perhaps he knit for the Malfoys).  Dumbledore even knits (he loves knitting patterns).  I can see him sitting up at night when he has been pondering where the next Horcrus might be or worrying about a meeting with the Board of Directors and pulling out a pair of thick woolen socks to knit a while gently prodding his thoughts in the pensieve. 

There is no huge display about knitting in the Harry Potter series.  But there is knitting.  It's all around and it seems so ordinary and normal.  But then that's how it is in my house.  There are four knitters in this family, so the fact that there is knitting in Harry Potter just makes it that much more special to me.  And tomorrow as my children gather around the television (beginning at 3am) to watch all seven movies prior to going to the midnight premiere, there most likely will be knitting involved.  And maybe someone will have a good idea what Hagrid was knitting.

This week's 10 on Tuesday is to list your ten favorite things about Harry Potter whether it is the books or the movies. I'm doing a mix of the two as I love them both. This list will contain spoilers, so if you haven't read the books and don't want to read spoilers, quit now and come back after you've seen the movies or read all seven books.
1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was J.K. Rowling's break out novel. That such genius could come out of her first book was a miracle. To follow it up with six more books that became even better with each book is pure talent.

2. Neville Longbottom. Neville is one of my favorite characters. I loved him when he was a bumbling chubby eleven-year old in the first book. I loved him when he was the last boy home from the Yule ball. I loved him when he was at the Ministry of Magic facing his own fears. I loved him when he was an "of age" wizard at Hogwart's protecting his fellow students in the Room of Requirement. I cheered when Neville killed Nagini with the Sword of Gryffindor!

3. I watched my children grow up with Harry Potter and our entire family had something to talk about at the dinner table, even if it was arguing which Weasley twin was the best (and why).

4. Molly Weasley. I understand and love Molly. She wants to care for people and love people. She's a Scorpio (according to the Harry Potter Lexicon) and fierce when backed in a corner. I like to think (as a knitter) that her wand is a Brittany Birch crochet hook that she uses to pick up stitches (it could never be a knitting needle because she'd need two and would probably have something on the needles in a time of need whereas a crochet hook can much more easily be accessed in an emergency. (See? Don't they look like they could be wands?)

5. That millions of children (and adults) have been brought to reading because of these wonderful stories and they didn't quit reading after the seventh book was over. They came back to the bookstores to read more.

6. The movies. I have always considered the movies as a visual representation for the book readers. I've heard so many people who never read the books remark how they were confused in the movie. Of course you were because the movies weren't for you. They were for the readers. We understand what is going on. We aren't lost. We get eye candy for all the hours we have delightedly toiled (can you toil delightfully?) over the books. We get to see Diagon Alley, Hogwarts, Hagrid's hut, The Burrough, and Gringott's. We get to see Quidditch! We get to see the magic we've read about.

7. Words. Yes; there are words in the Harry Potter books, but they are used so delightfully. I love Rowling's use of Greek and Latin. I love how she has named her characters with so much thought. Each word seems carefully chiseled from many resources in order to create a perfect sentence. My favorite use of this kind of word play? Umbridge. From Umbrage: 1. Shade or shadow; 2. shady branches; 3. an indistinct indication or reason for doubt; 4. a feeling of pique or resentment at some often fancied slight or insult. Whenever I run across a name or word that intrigues me, I have to go look it up. Xenophilius is another fantastic name.

8. The world of Harry Potter is timeless. It could be set in modern times (even though Rowling has said that it is set in the late 80's and early 90's). My grandchildren can (and will) read these books and be able to relate to them. This is so rare in today's juvenile literature. The last person who did this so flawlessly was Madeliene L'engle.

9. Magic. Magic just intrigues me. I love the idea of lighting a room with a single word. How thrilling it would be to have knitting aided by magic. I would love to ride on a broom or travel by Floo powder. I would adore going to school to learn magic to turn a whistle into a pocket watch and have it sing you the time. I would faithfully go to each class and do my homework just so I could do magic. It would be so awesome to go to Ollivander's to have my wand choose me. I would love to receive an owl post (or send one for that matter).

10. The "I love magic" scene in the movies. There's one in each movie. It's that moment that Harry realizes or remembers that he is a wizard and how wonderful that is. The look on his face the first time he sees Diagon Alley probably mirrored my own. I love when he walked into the tent in Goblet of Fire to find that it wasn't a drab old ten foot by ten foot box but a multi-room house with rugs and carpets and a kitchen. It's OK, Harry. Because I love magic, too!

Day? Week? Month?

The past few weeks have been crazy around here. Two weeks ago I attended a Harry Potter Conference. Let me tell you, there is nothing more fun that sitting around talking about your favorite books with other people who love those same books. And indoor Quidditch totally rocks. I went to a lecture on Fanfic vs. Fanfantasy. I'm not a big fan of either other than just as a writing exercise. Maybe it is because I am too protective of my own characters and wouldn't want anyone putting Peter and Andy into some horribly written slash scene. Although, in my mind, Andy did once sort of make a proposition towards Peter which may account for why Peter detests Andy at our first meeting of these characters. (I'm so glad he got over it.)

Another lecture I went to was actually delivered as a sermon. It was called "A Sermon Based on the Gospel of Harry Potter." I have to say that of all the articles I have read about Harry Potter (and there have been a number of them) this has to be one of the most creative approaches to J.K. Rowling's work ever. It was truly delightful to hear and I heartily applaud the author and sermonizer. The other enjoyable lecture was on Harry Potter and today's war on terror. I love sitting with academia and knowing that these young students in today's campus know something about world history that happened prior to their births (prior to mine and even my grandmother's for that matter).

I freely admit that I love the Harry Potter books. J.K. Rowling is one of my heroes in the literary world. I fully hope to read these books with my grandchildren (if my children don't beat me to it). These are wonderfully classic books that can speak to generations beyond our own. I love how Jo Rowling has taken a book and stripped from it any true references to time. While there are computers and video games mentioned in her books, they are vague enough that Harry Potter could have grown up when I did or when my great grandchildren will. There is something truly magical about Rowling's writings. She has the ability to convey what things look like with very few words. How many of us saw Harry Potter and the Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone for the first time and when we were introduced to Diagon Alley we all thought, "Oh, that's exactly what I thought it would look like!" Yet if you go back and read the section where Harry Potter first steps through the brick arch from the Leaky Cauldron, it doesn't really describe the scene very much at all. Yet, we all could see it. We could smell it. We could hear the owls softly hooting overhead as they made their way to the post office. That is the mark of a truly gifted writer. To be able to tell us just enough to plant the seed of what is in her mind so that it can grow.

So then, what else has happened? I've been busy running from one extreme to another. I've done a reading of a fellow writer's work. I've been sitting at the hospital while both of my parents had elective surgery four days apart from each other. I still haven't figured out why they thought that was going to be a good idea. I've been knitting madly at Sock Madness (I'm now in Round three and have a fairly good feeling I'll make it to Round Four). And next week I leave for Stitches South. Today is filled with my Wednesday morning knit group and then dying my oldest child's hair purple while trying not to think what I would look like if I dyed all the gray popping up all over my head the same color.

Oh, and my spouse finally returned home from six months of being in Dallas. He decided to take two days off to spend with us and that has made me completely lose track of time. Yesterday I swore it was Sunday because we went out for breakfast, did the grocery shopping and ran a few other errands. It was Sunday Business. So it surprised me when I realized this morning that it was actually Wednesday and now I am trying to catch up with those few missing days. I'm hoping to finish this round of Sock Madness by Friday so I can get in a few days of writing before heading off to Stitches. My book is screaming for a rewrite of the beginning. Again.

But at least while looking out my window I can see all the beautiful colors that have erupted in my yard. Too bad I'm allergic to them all.