How could I forget?
Ten years ago, Diana, Princess of Wales, her boyfriend Dodi Fahed and his chauffeur died after a car crash in Paris as they were pursued by a horde of paparazzi.
I remember being shocked when the news flashed on the TV.
I’ve been enamored of British royalty for a long. I’ve read nearly ever biography I could find about any royal affiliated with the British Crown, plus other royal houses in other countries. Their lives are so strange, so appealing, yet often sad.
I’ve been fascinated by Diana from the beginning like so many others. I remember when she was “discovered” how pretty she was. Her looks brought her fame even then, her fresh face, her sweet smile, her blond hair, those blue eyes. She was amazingly pretty for an English girl, it was written.
Much was made of Diana being more British than Prince Charles. I remember reading of her lineage in several magazines. As was noted, the House of Windsor, as it was renamed during the World War, is much more German than English.
I stayed up late to watch her wedding to Charles.
Her wedding dress was gorgeous. Her train was so long … 19 feet or 21 or 27? I forget the exact length. But I remember the little flower girls who helped maneuver it. They were so cute.
I watched her wave shyly from Buckingham Palace’s public viewing balcony after the nuptials.
Photographs of the wedding, and everyone who was there, decorated magazines and even some newspapers.
It was all so romantic.
I remember Sarah Ferguson’s wedding to Prince Andrew, Randy Andy.
I remember watching it, but it didn’t leave as much of an impression as Diana’s did.
I remember all the pictures of the two princesses together.
I remember Sarah’s divorce. How it was rumored the two, extremely unhappy in their marriages, plotted Sarah’s divorce to see what it might presage for Diana’s hoped-for escape.
I remember Sarah saying that they were the first two women who left a monarch without losing their heads.
They didn’t lose their heads, but they were sullied in many ways.
It seemed that Diana, just a bit older than I, was finely getting her act together, finding happiness again. Who could say if it were true happiness?
Then it was tragically cut short.
I watched Fox News’s special of the remembrance of Diana’s life at the 10-year anniversary of her death.
I watched, and I admired her sons, William and Harry.
Then I spotted Prince Charles.
And I was reminded of Sarah’s comment.
And I saw, again, that Diana was the sacrificial lamb. The necessary virgin vessel needed to bear the royal heirs, the Heir and the Spare, as William and Harry have been called.
Then, as I watched Charles, I was angry.
After the boys’ births, Charles’s use of her was over. He sure didn’t seem to try to work hard at being married to Diana. He did what generations of royal men did, what many English “nobility” still do today. He tried to keep up appearances while having the woman who flattered him and pandered to his self-centered needs. Some critics said Diana should have just accepted with good grace what many royal women before her have.
But they didn’t get it.
There was a reason why pharaohs married their sisters or half-sisters, and bred the Egyptian royalty into disease and ill health. The pharaoh, like many royal figures, believed they were gods. Receiving vessels of a god can’t be sullied by a mere man partaking of reflected godliness. Men caught as a lover’s of a pharaoh’s daughter or wife were disposed of, often by being sewn inside sheepskin and placed in wooden coffins alive to die, unnamed, the most ignominious of deaths because they partook of the pharaoh’s divinity.
What Diana became, despite of the obstacles in her life, despite of the character flaws she had, despite the handicaps royal life gave, was a hymn to serve God, by showing his love through her.
People try to degrade her, by saying she sinned too, it wasn’t just Charles; or she didn’t try hard enough; that she was a calculating, cold bitch. Those types of arguments don’t hold water.
She was a loving, giving woman who did the best she could with what she had. We can’t judge her. People struggle with their own flaws. Hers were on a public stage and not always conducted in the best, most discreet way.
But 10 years after her death, we saw two of her best projects, the boys she loved with all her heart, mind and soul, William and Harry. They graciously shared their mother with all of us one more time, hoping that her memory, life and death, can now be given the peace she richly deserves.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Monday, August 20, 2007
Week One: A Week in Hell
Week One was hard. No doubt about it. Getting back into the routine of school had the family kicking and screaming – mom and dad included.
Monday, Aug. 13, was the first day of school for Marshall, my fifth-grader, and Ellie, my second-grader. Bryce, my kindergartner who attends all day, started back Tuesday.
There was no easing into school with a half-week, as has been the case for the past several years. One year we started on Thursday. Another year we started on Wednesday. These were great. Only two or three days to do the hard time: getting up early and dragging through the day. After those short weeks, the following, full week of school was much easier.
This year, I felt like we were in the Battle of the Bulge, with no end in sight. The only difference was we were sweltering in the hottest 90+ temperatures Indiana had seen in years instead of freezing our asses off in dirty foxholes. By the end of the week, I wanted to hide in a foxhole by myself.
Each afternoon, the kids got in the van and promptly started to fight and complain. For two or three days, tears were involved. Twice during the week, tears started once we got home.
I knew it was bad Thursday when I had to scream three times to be heard, “Shut up! No more talking!” Then Bryce started crying because I scared him by yelling.
That day was probably the worst. Marshall and Ellie were fighting over trays that were spilled and kids saving seats during lunch that resulted in everyone getting assigned seats. Ellie maintained that it was all the fifth grade’s fault. Apparently, the fifth-graders did do all that she said, but Marshall felt that Ellie was unfairly blaming the fifth-graders, even though he himself did not do any of the questionable behavior.
The rotten behavior continued when I took a business call. Ellie and Bryce, who were supposed to be putting away their clean clothes, got into a fight, yelling at and hitting each other. Marshall then tried to intervene, but Ellie pulled her “smiling” trick. More blows were exchanged, more yelling was done, more attempted interruptions of my telephone call were made.
When I finally got off the phone, after apologizing multiple times and repeating the poor lady’s sign information about a dozen times, I had had it.
I sent everyone to his or her rooms. I had to put Bryce on the couch, since he and Marshall share a room and I wanted everyone separated.
Bryce was easily dispensed with. He didn’t want to be upstairs after he had finished his chores because Ellie was afraid to stay there. She chased him and hit him; he returned the blow, which was then repeated by them both until Marshall separated them, because he couldn’t do his homework with them carrying on.
However, Ellie seemed to be bothered by leaving home and staying at school so long, as well as the injustice of having to put her clothes away by herself when she was scared to be upstairs alone.
Marshall was more complicated. He lets things get to him too much, especially things that Ellie does or says. He felt Ellie was blaming the fifth grade for getting assigned seats for lunchtime and was extremely upset by that. Even when I pointed out that those things that got everyone assigned seats were, indeed, caused by fifth-graders, he was still upset. When I quizzed him if other, specific kids would have said the same things, he said he would still be upset, though not to the same degree.
Determined to make this a teachable moment, I tried to encourage Marshall to put on some “knight’s armor” against what other people say to him. I even invoked “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” I don’t think I really succeeded any more than other times that we’ve talked about these same issues.
What it all boiled down to was being tired: mind-numbing, bone-wearying fatigue. The fatigue even hit Michael and I as we struggled with kids to get to sleep early each night then fought to get them up each morning.
On Friday, we overslept. I had forgotten to flip on the alarm Thursday night when I went to bed.
The kids actually cooperated quickly, though Bryce moved a little slower than the others. But everyone got dressed, had lunches packed and teeth brushed in record time. I’d like to say we made it to school on time, but we didn’t. It was still a Herculean effort for some mighty exhausted kids. Michael and I felt more rested Friday morning than we had all week. But it caught up with us that night and we all crashed pretty early.
If only this week will go smoother, but I fear it won’t.
Why, oh, why couldn’t the school board start the year midweek?
Monday, Aug. 13, was the first day of school for Marshall, my fifth-grader, and Ellie, my second-grader. Bryce, my kindergartner who attends all day, started back Tuesday.
There was no easing into school with a half-week, as has been the case for the past several years. One year we started on Thursday. Another year we started on Wednesday. These were great. Only two or three days to do the hard time: getting up early and dragging through the day. After those short weeks, the following, full week of school was much easier.
This year, I felt like we were in the Battle of the Bulge, with no end in sight. The only difference was we were sweltering in the hottest 90+ temperatures Indiana had seen in years instead of freezing our asses off in dirty foxholes. By the end of the week, I wanted to hide in a foxhole by myself.
Each afternoon, the kids got in the van and promptly started to fight and complain. For two or three days, tears were involved. Twice during the week, tears started once we got home.
I knew it was bad Thursday when I had to scream three times to be heard, “Shut up! No more talking!” Then Bryce started crying because I scared him by yelling.
That day was probably the worst. Marshall and Ellie were fighting over trays that were spilled and kids saving seats during lunch that resulted in everyone getting assigned seats. Ellie maintained that it was all the fifth grade’s fault. Apparently, the fifth-graders did do all that she said, but Marshall felt that Ellie was unfairly blaming the fifth-graders, even though he himself did not do any of the questionable behavior.
The rotten behavior continued when I took a business call. Ellie and Bryce, who were supposed to be putting away their clean clothes, got into a fight, yelling at and hitting each other. Marshall then tried to intervene, but Ellie pulled her “smiling” trick. More blows were exchanged, more yelling was done, more attempted interruptions of my telephone call were made.
When I finally got off the phone, after apologizing multiple times and repeating the poor lady’s sign information about a dozen times, I had had it.
I sent everyone to his or her rooms. I had to put Bryce on the couch, since he and Marshall share a room and I wanted everyone separated.
Bryce was easily dispensed with. He didn’t want to be upstairs after he had finished his chores because Ellie was afraid to stay there. She chased him and hit him; he returned the blow, which was then repeated by them both until Marshall separated them, because he couldn’t do his homework with them carrying on.
However, Ellie seemed to be bothered by leaving home and staying at school so long, as well as the injustice of having to put her clothes away by herself when she was scared to be upstairs alone.
Marshall was more complicated. He lets things get to him too much, especially things that Ellie does or says. He felt Ellie was blaming the fifth grade for getting assigned seats for lunchtime and was extremely upset by that. Even when I pointed out that those things that got everyone assigned seats were, indeed, caused by fifth-graders, he was still upset. When I quizzed him if other, specific kids would have said the same things, he said he would still be upset, though not to the same degree.
Determined to make this a teachable moment, I tried to encourage Marshall to put on some “knight’s armor” against what other people say to him. I even invoked “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” I don’t think I really succeeded any more than other times that we’ve talked about these same issues.
What it all boiled down to was being tired: mind-numbing, bone-wearying fatigue. The fatigue even hit Michael and I as we struggled with kids to get to sleep early each night then fought to get them up each morning.
On Friday, we overslept. I had forgotten to flip on the alarm Thursday night when I went to bed.
The kids actually cooperated quickly, though Bryce moved a little slower than the others. But everyone got dressed, had lunches packed and teeth brushed in record time. I’d like to say we made it to school on time, but we didn’t. It was still a Herculean effort for some mighty exhausted kids. Michael and I felt more rested Friday morning than we had all week. But it caught up with us that night and we all crashed pretty early.
If only this week will go smoother, but I fear it won’t.
Why, oh, why couldn’t the school board start the year midweek?
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Living Art
Art dwells within my domicile.
Put into layman’s terms: I won a painted chair at a local art auction.
More specifically, I was the first and only bid, $20, in a silent auction of chairs decorated by local artists or wannabe artists conducted during July’s Shelby County Arts Fest, a celebration of all things arts and crafts.
I feel badly that I won.
My usual practice is to attend the Arts Fest, browse the art and craft booths, inspect the juried art show on the third floor of the Indiana Downs horse track, and gaze at the decorated benches, for this year they switched to chairs of all sorts, and write a bid in on a few sheets. I’m usually among the first the write in bids on the auction sheets attached to the chairs.
This year, the organizers switched to chairs to decorate instead of benches, and they were as cute, perhaps more so, than many of the benches. Each year, visitors can write in a bid, check back later, and maybe write in a higher bid. At 5 p.m. all the chairs are “sold” to the highest bidder.
I’m never around that late, so I never bid any higher, and since I’m there early, lots of other people have the opportunity to make these objets d’arte their own.
I had a chance to put the first bids on a couple of chairs, including the one sponsored by National City Bank and decorated by the Shelbyville High School art students of Angie Palmer. All the starting bids were $10 or $20, so I put down $20, and thought nothing else about it, sure I would be outbid as I have all the other years.
The chair is adorable. It started out as a wooden chair with a woven rattan seat. The students chose a garden motif. The chair was painted green on the seat, with subtle blades of grass growing up the legs. My favorites are those harbingers of good luck, the ladybugs, sprinkled unexpectedly on the legs. Green crepe paper fringes the seat and covers where a large cushion was added. Of painted canvas, with more green background, with flowers and curlicues growing, the seat has been pronounced “pretty soft” by my oldest son, Marshall. Small white flowers reach up on green pipe cleaner stalks from the crossbar holding the front legs together. The back is painted sky blue with wispy white clouds. And the students added a bright canvas sun with orange pipe cleaner rays to the top rung of the chair back.
This cheery chair now brightens the corner of our front hallway, where it can be seen when the front door is opened. It greets our visitors with a sunny disposition that I like to think reflects the mood of our house, most of the time.
Originally, I had threatened the kids that this would be the new time-out chair. But it’s too happy for that.Maybe it should be our happy-time-in chair instead. And I’m happy that I wasn’t outbid on this wonderful piece of art.
Thank you, Angie Palmer and students, for brightening a corner where I live with your art.
Put into layman’s terms: I won a painted chair at a local art auction.
More specifically, I was the first and only bid, $20, in a silent auction of chairs decorated by local artists or wannabe artists conducted during July’s Shelby County Arts Fest, a celebration of all things arts and crafts.
I feel badly that I won.
My usual practice is to attend the Arts Fest, browse the art and craft booths, inspect the juried art show on the third floor of the Indiana Downs horse track, and gaze at the decorated benches, for this year they switched to chairs of all sorts, and write a bid in on a few sheets. I’m usually among the first the write in bids on the auction sheets attached to the chairs.
This year, the organizers switched to chairs to decorate instead of benches, and they were as cute, perhaps more so, than many of the benches. Each year, visitors can write in a bid, check back later, and maybe write in a higher bid. At 5 p.m. all the chairs are “sold” to the highest bidder.
I’m never around that late, so I never bid any higher, and since I’m there early, lots of other people have the opportunity to make these objets d’arte their own.
I had a chance to put the first bids on a couple of chairs, including the one sponsored by National City Bank and decorated by the Shelbyville High School art students of Angie Palmer. All the starting bids were $10 or $20, so I put down $20, and thought nothing else about it, sure I would be outbid as I have all the other years.
The chair is adorable. It started out as a wooden chair with a woven rattan seat. The students chose a garden motif. The chair was painted green on the seat, with subtle blades of grass growing up the legs. My favorites are those harbingers of good luck, the ladybugs, sprinkled unexpectedly on the legs. Green crepe paper fringes the seat and covers where a large cushion was added. Of painted canvas, with more green background, with flowers and curlicues growing, the seat has been pronounced “pretty soft” by my oldest son, Marshall. Small white flowers reach up on green pipe cleaner stalks from the crossbar holding the front legs together. The back is painted sky blue with wispy white clouds. And the students added a bright canvas sun with orange pipe cleaner rays to the top rung of the chair back.
This cheery chair now brightens the corner of our front hallway, where it can be seen when the front door is opened. It greets our visitors with a sunny disposition that I like to think reflects the mood of our house, most of the time.
Originally, I had threatened the kids that this would be the new time-out chair. But it’s too happy for that.Maybe it should be our happy-time-in chair instead. And I’m happy that I wasn’t outbid on this wonderful piece of art.
Thank you, Angie Palmer and students, for brightening a corner where I live with your art.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Swimming into School with Shark Week
School starts Monday, and we’ve been getting ready for a couple of weeks.
Marshall has been a big help in reassuring Bryce and Ellie that they will be OK in school. Several times I’ve asked him to come help me explain the “real” school situations that Bryce and Ellie have been concerned about.
Bryce hasn’t really appeared too anxious. He did tell the hair stylist that he wasn’t going to school when she asked him.
But, Ellie has had concerns. My favorite was when she cried to me: “I’ve never been in second grade before!” She is not convince by the fact that everyone in her first-grade class will be joining her in the same hall, just next door to their old classroom.
She then lamented that she doesn’t know her teacher, Mrs. Schroeder. When I reassured her that Mrs. Schroeder knows her, because she told me what a great help Ellie was to preschoolers last year at lunch, Ellie just looked skeptical.
She also doesn’t look forward to trying to play with one friend who is monopolized by a girl who has called her “a smelly rat,” as in “Did you invite this smelly rat to play with us?” Marshall helped out by saying girls can be really mean.
“Boys are mean,” Marshall said, “but girls are really mean and they stay mad longer.”
That is the part of girls growing up that I don’t look forward to dealing with.
Michael and I tried to approach these past couple of weeks as a training session to get in shape for school.
First we started easing the kids back into early-morning hours. Bedtime became earlier each night, until we were actually getting them into bed while the sun was still shining.
This made waking up much easier at 7 a.m. A couple of times we even got them up at 6:30. Getting them right into chores helped them stay awake. With the heat so bad, I made them play outdoors until it became too hot to breathe out there.
By 11 they were ready to come in and start lunch within a half-hour. But after lunch, with the chores done, there wasn’t much left to do except watch TV or let them drag their toys downstairs. Our upstairs gets unbearably hot with these 90+ temperatures. And our downstairs got overrun with little toys of all types and chairs and couch cushions becoming houses, forts and castles.
Then school supplies beckoned. This only consumed a little more than an hour at Wal-Mart. The crowd wasn’t too bad. But with three kids in kindergarten, second grade and fifth grade, the needs were diverse.
Bryce, who will be attending St. Joe’s all-day kindergarten program, needs two of everything. The teachers team-teach, one taking the “math things,” the other taking the “letter things,” as their letter to him explained. So it was 2 green desk boxes, 2 pairs of blunt scissors, 4 pencils, 4 glue sticks and 2 boxes of crayons. Here’s the kicker: They only need 8 crayons. A box of only 8 crayons costs 88 cents, but the box of 24 sells for 20 cents. Luckily, the teachers said they would send home the crayons that aren’t needed. So Bryce got 2 boxes of 24 crayons.
One of the crayon boxes has already been raided to fill Curious George’s backpack, which is a tiny backpack that came fastened onto a big backpack. There is a strap on the big backpack that the small one would Velcro around. It was really cute, and only $9.99. Since the old Spider-Man backpack was wearing thin in a couple of places, Bryce and Curious George became the proud new owners of plain blue, but utterly cool, backpacks.
Ellie was also seeking a fashion statement for her backpack. Months ago she decided she wanted a pink message bag instead of the usual backpack. One of her friends has one, and Ellie was quite impressed with it. To go with her messenger bag, she needed a new lunchbox. She had outgrown her Barbie lunchbox, she informed me. So she chose a stylish pink-and-gray camouflage lunch bag.
Most of Ellie’s supplies were the same, and we got new crayons and such. She did need a paint palette of 8 colors. This is new for second grade; Marshall didn’t need paint then. Folders and notebooks this year are of dolphins, whales, tigers and horses, instead of Tinkerbell, who reigned in first grade. However, a Tinkerbell pencil bag was greeted with squeals of rapture.
Marshall is in fifth grade now. Things change here. At St. Joe, they prepare the kids for middle school by providing lockers on the second floor, away from their first-floor classroom, and requiring the kids to buy combination locks. Marshall was worried about how these worked, and a boy in the aisle at Wal-Mart assured him that the middle school already has locks in the lockers and they weren’t anything to worry about. I thought that was sweet.
The fifth grade requires 5 folders and a couple of notebooks, one of which is a 3-subject one, plus a composition book, and several different art supplies to be kept in a separate art box in their locker. Fifth grade also has homework in every subject every night, I understand. Marshall usually goes through 2 backpacks per year anyway because of rough usage. With all the weight he’ll be packing around this year, I’m wondering if I’ll be buying 2 more before the year is over. Marshall chose a sunny yellow backpack, which is his new favorite color.
Exciting, however, is that fifth-graders get to use ink pens! Marshall’s going to have to shape up his handwriting, though.
All in all, our preparations for school have gone swimmingly, until this week. “Shark Week” has been showing each night on Animal Plant. Two shows, starting at 8 and 9, have kept us all up really late. The kids have been camping out in the living room because it is so hot, and Michael loves Shark Week, so everyone has been awake until 10 p.m. Getting up early the next morning has suffered.
I don’t have much hope of getting them up at 6 a.m. on Monday, I’m afraid. Here’s hoping we all survive next week (a full week of school, instead of starting midweek like we have the past several years). Could be rough.
Marshall has been a big help in reassuring Bryce and Ellie that they will be OK in school. Several times I’ve asked him to come help me explain the “real” school situations that Bryce and Ellie have been concerned about.
Bryce hasn’t really appeared too anxious. He did tell the hair stylist that he wasn’t going to school when she asked him.
But, Ellie has had concerns. My favorite was when she cried to me: “I’ve never been in second grade before!” She is not convince by the fact that everyone in her first-grade class will be joining her in the same hall, just next door to their old classroom.
She then lamented that she doesn’t know her teacher, Mrs. Schroeder. When I reassured her that Mrs. Schroeder knows her, because she told me what a great help Ellie was to preschoolers last year at lunch, Ellie just looked skeptical.
She also doesn’t look forward to trying to play with one friend who is monopolized by a girl who has called her “a smelly rat,” as in “Did you invite this smelly rat to play with us?” Marshall helped out by saying girls can be really mean.
“Boys are mean,” Marshall said, “but girls are really mean and they stay mad longer.”
That is the part of girls growing up that I don’t look forward to dealing with.
Michael and I tried to approach these past couple of weeks as a training session to get in shape for school.
First we started easing the kids back into early-morning hours. Bedtime became earlier each night, until we were actually getting them into bed while the sun was still shining.
This made waking up much easier at 7 a.m. A couple of times we even got them up at 6:30. Getting them right into chores helped them stay awake. With the heat so bad, I made them play outdoors until it became too hot to breathe out there.
By 11 they were ready to come in and start lunch within a half-hour. But after lunch, with the chores done, there wasn’t much left to do except watch TV or let them drag their toys downstairs. Our upstairs gets unbearably hot with these 90+ temperatures. And our downstairs got overrun with little toys of all types and chairs and couch cushions becoming houses, forts and castles.
Then school supplies beckoned. This only consumed a little more than an hour at Wal-Mart. The crowd wasn’t too bad. But with three kids in kindergarten, second grade and fifth grade, the needs were diverse.
Bryce, who will be attending St. Joe’s all-day kindergarten program, needs two of everything. The teachers team-teach, one taking the “math things,” the other taking the “letter things,” as their letter to him explained. So it was 2 green desk boxes, 2 pairs of blunt scissors, 4 pencils, 4 glue sticks and 2 boxes of crayons. Here’s the kicker: They only need 8 crayons. A box of only 8 crayons costs 88 cents, but the box of 24 sells for 20 cents. Luckily, the teachers said they would send home the crayons that aren’t needed. So Bryce got 2 boxes of 24 crayons.
One of the crayon boxes has already been raided to fill Curious George’s backpack, which is a tiny backpack that came fastened onto a big backpack. There is a strap on the big backpack that the small one would Velcro around. It was really cute, and only $9.99. Since the old Spider-Man backpack was wearing thin in a couple of places, Bryce and Curious George became the proud new owners of plain blue, but utterly cool, backpacks.
Ellie was also seeking a fashion statement for her backpack. Months ago she decided she wanted a pink message bag instead of the usual backpack. One of her friends has one, and Ellie was quite impressed with it. To go with her messenger bag, she needed a new lunchbox. She had outgrown her Barbie lunchbox, she informed me. So she chose a stylish pink-and-gray camouflage lunch bag.
Most of Ellie’s supplies were the same, and we got new crayons and such. She did need a paint palette of 8 colors. This is new for second grade; Marshall didn’t need paint then. Folders and notebooks this year are of dolphins, whales, tigers and horses, instead of Tinkerbell, who reigned in first grade. However, a Tinkerbell pencil bag was greeted with squeals of rapture.
Marshall is in fifth grade now. Things change here. At St. Joe, they prepare the kids for middle school by providing lockers on the second floor, away from their first-floor classroom, and requiring the kids to buy combination locks. Marshall was worried about how these worked, and a boy in the aisle at Wal-Mart assured him that the middle school already has locks in the lockers and they weren’t anything to worry about. I thought that was sweet.
The fifth grade requires 5 folders and a couple of notebooks, one of which is a 3-subject one, plus a composition book, and several different art supplies to be kept in a separate art box in their locker. Fifth grade also has homework in every subject every night, I understand. Marshall usually goes through 2 backpacks per year anyway because of rough usage. With all the weight he’ll be packing around this year, I’m wondering if I’ll be buying 2 more before the year is over. Marshall chose a sunny yellow backpack, which is his new favorite color.
Exciting, however, is that fifth-graders get to use ink pens! Marshall’s going to have to shape up his handwriting, though.
All in all, our preparations for school have gone swimmingly, until this week. “Shark Week” has been showing each night on Animal Plant. Two shows, starting at 8 and 9, have kept us all up really late. The kids have been camping out in the living room because it is so hot, and Michael loves Shark Week, so everyone has been awake until 10 p.m. Getting up early the next morning has suffered.
I don’t have much hope of getting them up at 6 a.m. on Monday, I’m afraid. Here’s hoping we all survive next week (a full week of school, instead of starting midweek like we have the past several years). Could be rough.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Rowling dedicates 'Deathly Hallows' to me
J.K. Rowling dedicated “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” to me. It says: The dedication of this book is split seven ways: … and to you, if you have stuck with Harry until the very end.”
Harry Potter No. 7 that wraps up nearly all loose ends in this saga, introduces some new twists, satisfies me, but still leaves me wanting more. The magical world that Rowling created is so wonderful and pleasing that I hate to say goodbye to it. Rowling has ruled out prequels and sequels, even though the ending certainly could be the start of another seven-years-at-Hogwarts stories.
Other critics have compared the series to a waste of old-growth forests and silly when rated next to Tolstoy, Fitzgerald and Dostoyevsky. Though one writer compared the fascination with Harry with the excitement readers greeted each installment of Dickens.
That’s what Rowling and the Harry Potter series are about: a wonderful world, expertly imagined and crafted, with enticing characters and fun dialogue.
How we deal with death is a major theme of the series, and we are treated to several deaths and endings in DH. I cried several times. When you invest time into characters and a story, it’s hard not to be personally affected on some level.
SPOILER ALERT!
Now I’m going to discuss specific scenes in DH, so if you haven’t read it, you may want to wait until you finish, unless you just like to read my writing, then go ahead.
Once again a book opens with Death Eaters, but here Voldemort is in their midst. We see the powerful attracted by the Dark Arts and the thuggish. We also witness remorse, which is a theme throughout DH, through the Malfoys. Even Voldemort could be redeemable if he shows remorse. Lucius and Narcissa show that intelligent people can spot the difference between playing at being evil and being consumed by evil, and they tread a fine line in order to avoid being consumed by Voldemort. This chapter foreshadows parts of the end, with Severus Snape being the most trusted servant of Voldemort, the bond of Bellatrix LeStrange in love with her evil master, the Malfoys pulling away, the torture for fun of Muggles, and the fear through which Voldemort rules.
We are treated to a fun chapter in which we find out that Dudley Dursley shows gratitude, perhaps a bit of remorse, toward Harry. Aunt Petunia can’t summon any of those feelings; while Uncle Vernon perhaps had a twinge of understanding of the pain he has caused Harry.
Then, the good guys show up in force in the Order of the Phoenix, to spirit Harry to safety. And our first tragedies strike. We find out the depths of Ron and Hermione’s love of Harry and a determination to stick with him even though it very well could mean their deaths. From the beginning of DH, Harry shows plenty of remorse, regret, humility and an unwillingness to accept the sacrifice of others for him.
Here Harry and his friends start the epic journey. As with many epic journeys, theirs is epic … and long. Each chapter is needed, supplying vital information that Harry will need to destroy the Horcruxes in which Voldemort has hidden parts of his soul. Harry learns of some weaknesses of Voldemort. The friends’ relationships are tested. His best friend, Ron, deserts him. But heroically saving Harry’s life, Ron returns. In nearly every chapter Harry must deal with Dark attacks. And finally, the friends are captured. In places during this journey, it was hard to keep reading.
With help from Dobby the house elf, Harry, Ron and Hermione escape from the Malfoy mansion, where Hermione is tortured. Dobby dies as he brings Harry to safety. I was crushed. Dobby and Harry had such a bond, and his death galvanizes Harry to move forward with his plans to defeat Voldemort.
As the pace speeds up, Voldemort finally sees Harry’s plan.
And fans find out that the slightly misspelled anagram of Severus Snape, Persues Evans, is true. Snape has loved Lily Evans for all his life, protected her son at the cost of his own life, and is the “horrible boy” that told Lily about dementors, to whom Aunt Petunia referred in “Half-Blood Prince.” I was right: Snape is good, deep down. And as he dies, he looks into Harry’s eyes and sees Lily’s.
I was puzzled by the introduction of the Deathly Hallows into the storyline. It felt almost like cheating. But once again Harry had to move forward without everything being in place. Once again he survives, in a Christ-like way, which I had expected in some way. Even though his death had me in tears. Returning again to the theme of remorse, Harry’s offer of redemption to Voldemort was needed but of course not taken.
The last few chapters were highly satisfying. Rowling neatly ties up most of the threads and skates past being maudlin. Others may argue with that assessment, even as tragedy dots the battle scene.
No, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” isn’t a weighty work of finest literature, but it is an engaging story well told that has enticed legions of children and adults to turn from the videogames and television to explore the wonders of the written word.
I’m glad to have been a part of Harry’s saga, I’m glad to have been there from the beginning, I’m glad to have been there at the end. I hope many others feel the same way now, and I hope many others have the chance to feel so for many years to come.
Harry Potter No. 7 that wraps up nearly all loose ends in this saga, introduces some new twists, satisfies me, but still leaves me wanting more. The magical world that Rowling created is so wonderful and pleasing that I hate to say goodbye to it. Rowling has ruled out prequels and sequels, even though the ending certainly could be the start of another seven-years-at-Hogwarts stories.
Other critics have compared the series to a waste of old-growth forests and silly when rated next to Tolstoy, Fitzgerald and Dostoyevsky. Though one writer compared the fascination with Harry with the excitement readers greeted each installment of Dickens.
That’s what Rowling and the Harry Potter series are about: a wonderful world, expertly imagined and crafted, with enticing characters and fun dialogue.
How we deal with death is a major theme of the series, and we are treated to several deaths and endings in DH. I cried several times. When you invest time into characters and a story, it’s hard not to be personally affected on some level.
SPOILER ALERT!
Now I’m going to discuss specific scenes in DH, so if you haven’t read it, you may want to wait until you finish, unless you just like to read my writing, then go ahead.
Once again a book opens with Death Eaters, but here Voldemort is in their midst. We see the powerful attracted by the Dark Arts and the thuggish. We also witness remorse, which is a theme throughout DH, through the Malfoys. Even Voldemort could be redeemable if he shows remorse. Lucius and Narcissa show that intelligent people can spot the difference between playing at being evil and being consumed by evil, and they tread a fine line in order to avoid being consumed by Voldemort. This chapter foreshadows parts of the end, with Severus Snape being the most trusted servant of Voldemort, the bond of Bellatrix LeStrange in love with her evil master, the Malfoys pulling away, the torture for fun of Muggles, and the fear through which Voldemort rules.
We are treated to a fun chapter in which we find out that Dudley Dursley shows gratitude, perhaps a bit of remorse, toward Harry. Aunt Petunia can’t summon any of those feelings; while Uncle Vernon perhaps had a twinge of understanding of the pain he has caused Harry.
Then, the good guys show up in force in the Order of the Phoenix, to spirit Harry to safety. And our first tragedies strike. We find out the depths of Ron and Hermione’s love of Harry and a determination to stick with him even though it very well could mean their deaths. From the beginning of DH, Harry shows plenty of remorse, regret, humility and an unwillingness to accept the sacrifice of others for him.
Here Harry and his friends start the epic journey. As with many epic journeys, theirs is epic … and long. Each chapter is needed, supplying vital information that Harry will need to destroy the Horcruxes in which Voldemort has hidden parts of his soul. Harry learns of some weaknesses of Voldemort. The friends’ relationships are tested. His best friend, Ron, deserts him. But heroically saving Harry’s life, Ron returns. In nearly every chapter Harry must deal with Dark attacks. And finally, the friends are captured. In places during this journey, it was hard to keep reading.
With help from Dobby the house elf, Harry, Ron and Hermione escape from the Malfoy mansion, where Hermione is tortured. Dobby dies as he brings Harry to safety. I was crushed. Dobby and Harry had such a bond, and his death galvanizes Harry to move forward with his plans to defeat Voldemort.
As the pace speeds up, Voldemort finally sees Harry’s plan.
And fans find out that the slightly misspelled anagram of Severus Snape, Persues Evans, is true. Snape has loved Lily Evans for all his life, protected her son at the cost of his own life, and is the “horrible boy” that told Lily about dementors, to whom Aunt Petunia referred in “Half-Blood Prince.” I was right: Snape is good, deep down. And as he dies, he looks into Harry’s eyes and sees Lily’s.
I was puzzled by the introduction of the Deathly Hallows into the storyline. It felt almost like cheating. But once again Harry had to move forward without everything being in place. Once again he survives, in a Christ-like way, which I had expected in some way. Even though his death had me in tears. Returning again to the theme of remorse, Harry’s offer of redemption to Voldemort was needed but of course not taken.
The last few chapters were highly satisfying. Rowling neatly ties up most of the threads and skates past being maudlin. Others may argue with that assessment, even as tragedy dots the battle scene.
No, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” isn’t a weighty work of finest literature, but it is an engaging story well told that has enticed legions of children and adults to turn from the videogames and television to explore the wonders of the written word.
I’m glad to have been a part of Harry’s saga, I’m glad to have been there from the beginning, I’m glad to have been there at the end. I hope many others feel the same way now, and I hope many others have the chance to feel so for many years to come.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
"Deathly Hallows" Arrives and Astounds
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."
What can I say? It's wonderful!
I picked my copy at my local bookstore, Three Sisters Books, at 12:01 a.m. Sat. July 21, having left my son and his friends camping in our palatial, three-bedroom Jeep tent in our back yard. It was his 11th birthday.
Several friends had been at the pre-book release party, which started at 11 p.m.
I was No. 44 and 45, since I was picking up my neighbor's copy, too. So I was one of the last one there to get my copy.
I delivered Susan's copy to her. Her husband and son were camping with the Boy Scouts, and her young daughters were fast asleep. She took a long nap, and told me she was going to read for a while when I took her her book.
I went home and finally was able to settle down to start reading at 12:45 a.m.
No. 7 was mesmerizing. I couldn't put it down.
Suffice it to say I read the bulk of it and finished it Saturday night.
Awesome!
Although I felt I had to slog along in some middle parts, each chapter was integral to the story. None could have been left out.
Right now I am re-reading the story slowly so I can absorb the details. Several images stood out for me, which I will share with you later.
Dig right into it if you can. Even if you haven't read the previous books in the series, you can still enjoy DH on its own. One of my friends, who drives to Indy daily, bought the audio version. This is a good option, too. The reader is English, and he does different voices for many of the main characters.
I apologize to my sister-in-law for not having posted my 4th of July stories, including the tale of the flying market umbrella. That will come soon.
But until then, enjoy "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," and let me know what you think.
What can I say? It's wonderful!
I picked my copy at my local bookstore, Three Sisters Books, at 12:01 a.m. Sat. July 21, having left my son and his friends camping in our palatial, three-bedroom Jeep tent in our back yard. It was his 11th birthday.
Several friends had been at the pre-book release party, which started at 11 p.m.
I was No. 44 and 45, since I was picking up my neighbor's copy, too. So I was one of the last one there to get my copy.
I delivered Susan's copy to her. Her husband and son were camping with the Boy Scouts, and her young daughters were fast asleep. She took a long nap, and told me she was going to read for a while when I took her her book.
I went home and finally was able to settle down to start reading at 12:45 a.m.
No. 7 was mesmerizing. I couldn't put it down.
Suffice it to say I read the bulk of it and finished it Saturday night.
Awesome!
Although I felt I had to slog along in some middle parts, each chapter was integral to the story. None could have been left out.
Right now I am re-reading the story slowly so I can absorb the details. Several images stood out for me, which I will share with you later.
Dig right into it if you can. Even if you haven't read the previous books in the series, you can still enjoy DH on its own. One of my friends, who drives to Indy daily, bought the audio version. This is a good option, too. The reader is English, and he does different voices for many of the main characters.
I apologize to my sister-in-law for not having posted my 4th of July stories, including the tale of the flying market umbrella. That will come soon.
But until then, enjoy "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," and let me know what you think.
Friday, July 13, 2007
A Tale of Two Snapes
"The Great Snape Debate" is engaging, entertaining and worth a quick read before midnight Friday.
Written by Amy Berner, Orson Scott Card and Joyce Millman, it is a Borders Book Store exclusive publication. You'll have to find it there. Since it only takes 2 or 3 hours to read, you could just take it to the cafe and read it in the store.
I've already passed on my copy to a friend, to help her while away the hours before we pick up our "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" at midnight Friday in Shelbyville's Three Sisters Books & Gifts, so I apologize for not having specific quotes and instances to illustrate my review.
I really enjoyed the "Two Sides to Every Story, Flip the Book Over and See" idea. On one side is "Snape as Foe," illustrated with the green Slytherin snake arising from the cauldron on the cover. Flip the book over and you'll find "Snape as Friend," with a red phoenix shimmering over that cauldron.
Inside, you'll find the major points of the Severus Snape story throughout all six books of the Harry Potter series thus far. Each side goes through these points from the perspective of Snape as friend or foe. This gets a little repetitive, and it is done elsewhere, on websites and books, better.
However, the authors then take us through major literary themes that reflect friends or foes and how Snape resembles these archetypes of comparative literature. These sections I found interesting and engaging, though, again, in a few sections, somewhat repetitive once I got to the second "side." Here is expounded the idea of Snape as Shape Shifter, a character is makes a major shift from neutral to good/bad or from bad to good. These areas were illuminating and worthwhile. It is easy to see how Snape fits into the Shape Shifter mold.
Here, the friend and foe sections both begin with Milton's "Paradise Lost" and Satan, as the model for Snape. It is easy for me to see Snape echoing the Satan archetype, as well as an ultimate Shape Shifter, from bad to good.
The section I thought was best was the chapter written by prolific science fiction author Orson Scott Card. Here he looked at the issue as an author, explained how he would handle Snape (shape shifting from bad to good) and as an ultimate sacrifice. I was shocked at this, but after reading his reasoning, I could see how an author might come to that plot twist.
Now, I look forward to see how J.K. Rowling pulls together the separate threads of Snape's story not just on an emotional reader level but also on a comparative fiction basis. Rowling has shown a mastery of weaving myth, legend, whimsy and religion in her Potter series. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" will be a masterful, epic Final Act.
Mugglenet's "What Will Happen in Harry Potter 7?"
While I was browsing in Borders, after securing my copy of "The Great Snape Debate," I came across a book written by the creator, and contributors, of mugglenet.com, which has been hailed by Rowling as the best fan site she has visited. I have enjoyed visiting mugglenet.com, so I picked up "What Will Happen in Harry Potter 7?"
Included in this book were sections on the major plot "secrets" so far that still have to be resolved, a synopsis of the series through Book 6, and a short section explaining how Mugglenet.com and the book came to be.
Mugglenet's synopsis of the series is better than the one given in "The Great Snape Debate" because it is written by Emerson Sparks, the home-schooled teenage with too much time on his hands who created mugglenet. The website is encyclopedic and includes one section where fans may write in with discrepancies or mistakes they have found in the books.
Themes that have been ongoing for years now on the website were pulled together for the book. "What Will Happen" covered the Snape-as-friend-or-foe theme more succinctly. Then it went on to the second-most-talked-about puzzler, Is Dumbledore Really Dead? It covered What Will Happen to Neville Longbottom, the Boy Who Almost Was Harry, and his future, inextricably twined with Death Eater and torturer of his parents, Bellatrix Lestrange.
In comparison, I probably enjoyed "What Will Happen" more on an entertainment level. It WAS fun and entertaining and covered more than just one topic. I was a little bored with "The Great Snape Debate" even though it was thought-provoking in a way many books on popular topics aren't'.
Written by Amy Berner, Orson Scott Card and Joyce Millman, it is a Borders Book Store exclusive publication. You'll have to find it there. Since it only takes 2 or 3 hours to read, you could just take it to the cafe and read it in the store.
I've already passed on my copy to a friend, to help her while away the hours before we pick up our "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" at midnight Friday in Shelbyville's Three Sisters Books & Gifts, so I apologize for not having specific quotes and instances to illustrate my review.
I really enjoyed the "Two Sides to Every Story, Flip the Book Over and See" idea. On one side is "Snape as Foe," illustrated with the green Slytherin snake arising from the cauldron on the cover. Flip the book over and you'll find "Snape as Friend," with a red phoenix shimmering over that cauldron.
Inside, you'll find the major points of the Severus Snape story throughout all six books of the Harry Potter series thus far. Each side goes through these points from the perspective of Snape as friend or foe. This gets a little repetitive, and it is done elsewhere, on websites and books, better.
However, the authors then take us through major literary themes that reflect friends or foes and how Snape resembles these archetypes of comparative literature. These sections I found interesting and engaging, though, again, in a few sections, somewhat repetitive once I got to the second "side." Here is expounded the idea of Snape as Shape Shifter, a character is makes a major shift from neutral to good/bad or from bad to good. These areas were illuminating and worthwhile. It is easy to see how Snape fits into the Shape Shifter mold.
Here, the friend and foe sections both begin with Milton's "Paradise Lost" and Satan, as the model for Snape. It is easy for me to see Snape echoing the Satan archetype, as well as an ultimate Shape Shifter, from bad to good.
The section I thought was best was the chapter written by prolific science fiction author Orson Scott Card. Here he looked at the issue as an author, explained how he would handle Snape (shape shifting from bad to good) and as an ultimate sacrifice. I was shocked at this, but after reading his reasoning, I could see how an author might come to that plot twist.
Now, I look forward to see how J.K. Rowling pulls together the separate threads of Snape's story not just on an emotional reader level but also on a comparative fiction basis. Rowling has shown a mastery of weaving myth, legend, whimsy and religion in her Potter series. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" will be a masterful, epic Final Act.
Mugglenet's "What Will Happen in Harry Potter 7?"
While I was browsing in Borders, after securing my copy of "The Great Snape Debate," I came across a book written by the creator, and contributors, of mugglenet.com, which has been hailed by Rowling as the best fan site she has visited. I have enjoyed visiting mugglenet.com, so I picked up "What Will Happen in Harry Potter 7?"
Included in this book were sections on the major plot "secrets" so far that still have to be resolved, a synopsis of the series through Book 6, and a short section explaining how Mugglenet.com and the book came to be.
Mugglenet's synopsis of the series is better than the one given in "The Great Snape Debate" because it is written by Emerson Sparks, the home-schooled teenage with too much time on his hands who created mugglenet. The website is encyclopedic and includes one section where fans may write in with discrepancies or mistakes they have found in the books.
Themes that have been ongoing for years now on the website were pulled together for the book. "What Will Happen" covered the Snape-as-friend-or-foe theme more succinctly. Then it went on to the second-most-talked-about puzzler, Is Dumbledore Really Dead? It covered What Will Happen to Neville Longbottom, the Boy Who Almost Was Harry, and his future, inextricably twined with Death Eater and torturer of his parents, Bellatrix Lestrange.
In comparison, I probably enjoyed "What Will Happen" more on an entertainment level. It WAS fun and entertaining and covered more than just one topic. I was a little bored with "The Great Snape Debate" even though it was thought-provoking in a way many books on popular topics aren't'.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
It's All About Harry
"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" swept into theaters at 12:01 a.m. Wed., July 11, with a compelling portrait of Harry as a burdened, lonely teenager and struggling to face his future.
I was pleased with the movie of the 5th book of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter tale. It was smoother and less disjointed than "Goblet of Fire," and it hit most of the major points of the book.
I was disappointed in the character of Dolores Umbridge. These actresses are just too pretty to portray the unflattering characters from the books. Imelda Staunton was creepy, but her giggle, essential to her character, didn't convey that she was truly enjoying herself, as the book Umbridge did. Dressing her in nearly Muggle clothes didn't help, but you could certainly spot her in her hot pink wardrobe. The shot of Umbridge on a golden thronelike chair in front of an entire hall full of students writing lines in their own blood was great. There Staunton truly looked as if she was enjoying herself, just as the book Umbridge would have.
This film Umbridge wasn't loathsome enough to have us rooting for her defeat, as the truly evil Umbridge Rowling crafted in the book.
Another beautiful actress, Evanna Lynch, was too pretty to portray Luna Lovegood, who should have looked a little weirder. However, the first-time actress was terrifically spacey, with an odd, breathy voice and far-away look in her eyes. I loved the way she skipped off. Watching her, I was able to believe that the focus she learned in Harry's Defense Against the Dark Arts club will help her become the extraordinarily talented witch that her mother once was.
Seeing her interaction with Matt Evans, (Neville Longbottom) adds fuel to the speculation that a closer relationship may develop between them, as evidenced in the Department of Mysteries.
The roles of Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley were substantially reduced for this movie, as was Ginny Weasley's. Ron and Hermione's movie relationship was not marked by by the squabbling from the book. They were supportive, if somewhat silent, for Harry. But their portrayal of friendship shone.
The movie was all about Harry, his anger and angst, loneliness and love. Many scenes in the movie portrayed Harry physically alone, and Umbridge's treatment and students' reactions to him showed how alone emotionally he was. Luna, herself alone like Harry, offered a piercing observation: If Harry is alone, he is easier to defeat by Voldemort and his Death Eaters.
Daniel Radcliffe shows great range in his emotions on screen, from falling in love with Cho Chang, befriending Loony Lovegood, standing up to Dolores Umbridge, leading his friends into battle, fighting the Death Eaters to staving off Voldemort's assault of his mind and body.
One of my favorite scenes was of Harry dueling Death Eaters by his godfather, Sirius Black's, side. The flashing of the wands, the look of delight on Sirius's face and determination on Harry's, the poignancy of Sirius calling "Nice one, James," when Harry's curse struck home. When Sirius fell through the curtain, dying, and Remus Lupin grabbed Harry in a bear hug to support his agony, I shed a few tears. Since I expected this, I didn't bawl as I had when reading OOTP.
I was impressed with the scene of Dumbledore battling Voldemort and Voldemort possessing Harry. The flashing images of Harry and his friends, parents and Sirius conveyed the love that he has, the "power that the Dark Lord knows not." I was struck once again with the imagery of Satan and Jesus here, of the temptations, especially to kill Bellatrix Lestrange, and the contempt of Voldemort calling Harry weak. As I had just finished the Rebirthing scene in GOF earlier Wednesday afternoon, when Voldemort recalls Harry's mother, dying for her only son, I saw the continuation of this Hero-Evil mythology in Rowling's series.
Several story lines had to be compressed to fit into the movie, spending time at the OOTP headquarters, Harry's romance with Cho and Harry's Occulmency lessons with Snape. Not having more with Cho made it hard to see the connection with the betrayal of Dumbledore's Army, even with the added element of Umbridge's "Inquisitions." But the condensation of Occulmency lessons with Snape was effective, and the urgency of this training was heightened by beginning immediately after Harry's vision of attacking Arthur Weasley, which the book didn't portray as drastically. Snape is creepy, played deliciously by Alan Rickman, although his detestation of Harry wasn't as evident in this movie as in the OOTP book.
At the end, we see Dumbledore again appearing in Harry's dorm room. By telling Harry that he withheld information because he so desperately wanted to protect Harry, helped us see what Rowling described in the book as "an old man's mistake." Perhaps in withholding information from each other with those in our own lives, we too are doing a disservice to them, however kindly meant.
I will probably take my 7-year-old daughter to see this movie. I believe OOTP is not as overtly scary as GOF was. I have already told her that she will see Voldemort much more in this movie, and she assures me she will just cover her eyes. For all the peril that Harry is in, this movie shows little blood and guts. Creepiness, tension and a sense of fighting what may be a losing battle abound, but for a child would matter little, and she could definitely enjoy loathing Professor Umbridge.
OOTP is a transitional book, a growing-up and seeing what the world can really be like. It pulls the veil off Harry's eyes and ours as he finds out the horrible path he must follow. Living his life vicariously makes ours seem much easier.
I was pleased with the movie of the 5th book of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter tale. It was smoother and less disjointed than "Goblet of Fire," and it hit most of the major points of the book.
I was disappointed in the character of Dolores Umbridge. These actresses are just too pretty to portray the unflattering characters from the books. Imelda Staunton was creepy, but her giggle, essential to her character, didn't convey that she was truly enjoying herself, as the book Umbridge did. Dressing her in nearly Muggle clothes didn't help, but you could certainly spot her in her hot pink wardrobe. The shot of Umbridge on a golden thronelike chair in front of an entire hall full of students writing lines in their own blood was great. There Staunton truly looked as if she was enjoying herself, just as the book Umbridge would have.
This film Umbridge wasn't loathsome enough to have us rooting for her defeat, as the truly evil Umbridge Rowling crafted in the book.
Another beautiful actress, Evanna Lynch, was too pretty to portray Luna Lovegood, who should have looked a little weirder. However, the first-time actress was terrifically spacey, with an odd, breathy voice and far-away look in her eyes. I loved the way she skipped off. Watching her, I was able to believe that the focus she learned in Harry's Defense Against the Dark Arts club will help her become the extraordinarily talented witch that her mother once was.
Seeing her interaction with Matt Evans, (Neville Longbottom) adds fuel to the speculation that a closer relationship may develop between them, as evidenced in the Department of Mysteries.
The roles of Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley were substantially reduced for this movie, as was Ginny Weasley's. Ron and Hermione's movie relationship was not marked by by the squabbling from the book. They were supportive, if somewhat silent, for Harry. But their portrayal of friendship shone.
The movie was all about Harry, his anger and angst, loneliness and love. Many scenes in the movie portrayed Harry physically alone, and Umbridge's treatment and students' reactions to him showed how alone emotionally he was. Luna, herself alone like Harry, offered a piercing observation: If Harry is alone, he is easier to defeat by Voldemort and his Death Eaters.
Daniel Radcliffe shows great range in his emotions on screen, from falling in love with Cho Chang, befriending Loony Lovegood, standing up to Dolores Umbridge, leading his friends into battle, fighting the Death Eaters to staving off Voldemort's assault of his mind and body.
One of my favorite scenes was of Harry dueling Death Eaters by his godfather, Sirius Black's, side. The flashing of the wands, the look of delight on Sirius's face and determination on Harry's, the poignancy of Sirius calling "Nice one, James," when Harry's curse struck home. When Sirius fell through the curtain, dying, and Remus Lupin grabbed Harry in a bear hug to support his agony, I shed a few tears. Since I expected this, I didn't bawl as I had when reading OOTP.
I was impressed with the scene of Dumbledore battling Voldemort and Voldemort possessing Harry. The flashing images of Harry and his friends, parents and Sirius conveyed the love that he has, the "power that the Dark Lord knows not." I was struck once again with the imagery of Satan and Jesus here, of the temptations, especially to kill Bellatrix Lestrange, and the contempt of Voldemort calling Harry weak. As I had just finished the Rebirthing scene in GOF earlier Wednesday afternoon, when Voldemort recalls Harry's mother, dying for her only son, I saw the continuation of this Hero-Evil mythology in Rowling's series.
Several story lines had to be compressed to fit into the movie, spending time at the OOTP headquarters, Harry's romance with Cho and Harry's Occulmency lessons with Snape. Not having more with Cho made it hard to see the connection with the betrayal of Dumbledore's Army, even with the added element of Umbridge's "Inquisitions." But the condensation of Occulmency lessons with Snape was effective, and the urgency of this training was heightened by beginning immediately after Harry's vision of attacking Arthur Weasley, which the book didn't portray as drastically. Snape is creepy, played deliciously by Alan Rickman, although his detestation of Harry wasn't as evident in this movie as in the OOTP book.
At the end, we see Dumbledore again appearing in Harry's dorm room. By telling Harry that he withheld information because he so desperately wanted to protect Harry, helped us see what Rowling described in the book as "an old man's mistake." Perhaps in withholding information from each other with those in our own lives, we too are doing a disservice to them, however kindly meant.
I will probably take my 7-year-old daughter to see this movie. I believe OOTP is not as overtly scary as GOF was. I have already told her that she will see Voldemort much more in this movie, and she assures me she will just cover her eyes. For all the peril that Harry is in, this movie shows little blood and guts. Creepiness, tension and a sense of fighting what may be a losing battle abound, but for a child would matter little, and she could definitely enjoy loathing Professor Umbridge.
OOTP is a transitional book, a growing-up and seeing what the world can really be like. It pulls the veil off Harry's eyes and ours as he finds out the horrible path he must follow. Living his life vicariously makes ours seem much easier.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Retractable Awning vs. Market Umbrella
Choice is an wonderful thing. Being able to choose is also wonderful. Our country is based on the freedom of choices, where we can go to church, where we can get together, what we can say and how.
Deciding would seem to be the same as choosing. But it's not.
Deciding, the act of making a decision, can be wonderful, if you can do it.
Our recent purchase of first, a retractable awning, then second, a market umbrella, to shade our deck, illustrates the difficulties some people have with choice and decision. We certainly had difficulties.
After moving to our new house, our first project was to build a deck on the back of the house so we could enjoy outdoor living in our large back yard.
The back of our house faces east, and the sun beats down on it until 2 or 3 p.m. The deck roasts. It burns feet if they are not shod. And forget about eating breakfast or lunch there. The umbrella in our deck table doesn't cast much shade. And it had gotten ripped up in some storms.
It was time to get a new umbrella ... or was it?
Michael, my husband, had called an 800 number from a TV ad about retractable awnings. When his package, complete with informational DVD, arrived in the mail, he was as excited as a kid was when they received their sea monkey kit 30 years ago. He popped it into the DVD player and viewed it while he ate lunch. He had the measuring tape out before his sandwich was finished.
So, for the next month, he measured, re-measured, and measured again. He had me outside at 10 p.m. in 30-some degrees measuring every dimension on every outside wall and the deck that he could think of.
The main problem? This brand of awning had lengths only up to 14 feet. Now, our deck is large. Thirty-three feet long by 16 feet wide. If only Michael could get a longer awning.
Plus, every the spendthrift, Michael didn't want to pay their prices. Surely, he could find another awning company that was less expensive.
He visited all the home improvement/builders warehouse type stores he could think of, with the whole family in tow. All of these places proved as expensive, if not more so, than the awning company from which he had received information.
The Internet was the answer! He trawled the World Wide Web for another 3 weeks. Finally, he found an awning manufacturer that sold, gasp!, 16-foot-long retractable awnings.
Again, he measured every dimension possible.
By this time, spring was nearing, and many stores were putting up their garden and patio displays.
Marsh Supermarkets once again had these giant, 10x10 foot market umbrellas with an offset stand. These babies are so big that the stand has to be bolted down or weighed down concrete blocks so they won't tip over.
Last year, when I saw them, I was intrigued, but I was put off by the need to bolt or otherwise permanently afix the umbrellas to your deck or patio. But a friend of ours has one, and they love it. This year, as I looked at them and compared their features to regular market umbrellas, I decided I would rather have one of these.
Michael, however, wasn't convinced. He had visions of a 16-foot-long rolling shade for his deck.
I argued that 16 feet really was too long. It would hit the eaves. (We just put it up higher and drill into the siding.)
I argued the merits of price. While the larger retractable awning he had found would cost nearly $900 to ship to us, these large market umbrellas were only $99.99, plus they could be moved if we wanted. I reminded him that earlier, he had tried to convince that a 10x10 retractable awning would be just fine. As a point, however, I told him then that we should get the larger 14-foot- size to shade more area, because I felt we would be dissatisfied with that choice, despite the cost. (This was before he found the less expensive manufacturer of greater dimensions online.)
Against my advice, I actually threw in the towel and said, "do whatever you want to", he bought the retractable awning and awaited its arrival.
There was much joy that day.
Then came the reading of the instructions at least a hundred times.
Then, out came the measuring tape, again.
The 16-foot-awning was too big. Yes, too big for the area we had to put it up in, even raising where we would drill into the siding instead of the brick first floor.
"I told you so."
After much anguish, he decided to sell it. The intricacies of shipping it back included payment of the first, waived, shipping costs, in addition to the new shipping costs, both about $250 since semis had to be used.
By this time, however, the only models of the offset market umbrellas left in town were the display models, and those 2 had suffered damage. So, last weekend, it was off on a whirlwind visit to a nearby shopping mecca to see what those stores had left.
After much searching, we realized there wasn't much left.
Several stores had gazebos, with the umbrellalike tops above a 4-sided room structure. Several had mosquito netting on them. Quite a few of these were on sale.
We debated the idea of setting one of these on our deck, not sure if it would look too goofy. A neighbor of ours had one other their deck, which was of concrete, and it fit into its spot perfectly. We were afraid ours would look odd, stuck out a bit away from the house to be nearer the edge of the deck.
After a couple of hours of looking, we decided a gazebo would probably be OK.
But, one store had one offset market umbrella left, AND it had mosquito netting around it.
By this time I was enamored of the mosquito netting. One of my friends has mosquito netting on metal runners that slide around to enclose her porch, and they work very well.
One problem: The offset market umbrella cost $200, twice what I originally wanted to pay. However, this was basically the same price as all the other gazebos, whether or not they had mosquito netting.
More thinking. More waffling.
The choices, oh! the choices!
"Maybe we should just go with a regular, larger umbrella," Michael asked.
"No," I said. "This is what we had decided we wanted before we came up here. It's a bonus that it has the netting. I want it. Let's get it."
We took the slip from the sales associate and went to the front of the store to pay. Halfway there, Michael says, "I don't think we should get this. I'm turning around! We should get the regular umbrella."
I nearly screamed, but I didn't. I just forcefully reminded him this was what we wanted at the beginning of the spring anyway, until the idea of a retractable awning seduced him away from that decision.
Later that evening, we had the offset market umbrella up and the mosquito netting down. We enjoyed our supper overlooking our back yard.
Finally, the choice, and the decision, as difficult as they were to make and stick to, were made.
Deciding would seem to be the same as choosing. But it's not.
Deciding, the act of making a decision, can be wonderful, if you can do it.
Our recent purchase of first, a retractable awning, then second, a market umbrella, to shade our deck, illustrates the difficulties some people have with choice and decision. We certainly had difficulties.
After moving to our new house, our first project was to build a deck on the back of the house so we could enjoy outdoor living in our large back yard.
The back of our house faces east, and the sun beats down on it until 2 or 3 p.m. The deck roasts. It burns feet if they are not shod. And forget about eating breakfast or lunch there. The umbrella in our deck table doesn't cast much shade. And it had gotten ripped up in some storms.
It was time to get a new umbrella ... or was it?
Michael, my husband, had called an 800 number from a TV ad about retractable awnings. When his package, complete with informational DVD, arrived in the mail, he was as excited as a kid was when they received their sea monkey kit 30 years ago. He popped it into the DVD player and viewed it while he ate lunch. He had the measuring tape out before his sandwich was finished.
So, for the next month, he measured, re-measured, and measured again. He had me outside at 10 p.m. in 30-some degrees measuring every dimension on every outside wall and the deck that he could think of.
The main problem? This brand of awning had lengths only up to 14 feet. Now, our deck is large. Thirty-three feet long by 16 feet wide. If only Michael could get a longer awning.
Plus, every the spendthrift, Michael didn't want to pay their prices. Surely, he could find another awning company that was less expensive.
He visited all the home improvement/builders warehouse type stores he could think of, with the whole family in tow. All of these places proved as expensive, if not more so, than the awning company from which he had received information.
The Internet was the answer! He trawled the World Wide Web for another 3 weeks. Finally, he found an awning manufacturer that sold, gasp!, 16-foot-long retractable awnings.
Again, he measured every dimension possible.
By this time, spring was nearing, and many stores were putting up their garden and patio displays.
Marsh Supermarkets once again had these giant, 10x10 foot market umbrellas with an offset stand. These babies are so big that the stand has to be bolted down or weighed down concrete blocks so they won't tip over.
Last year, when I saw them, I was intrigued, but I was put off by the need to bolt or otherwise permanently afix the umbrellas to your deck or patio. But a friend of ours has one, and they love it. This year, as I looked at them and compared their features to regular market umbrellas, I decided I would rather have one of these.
Michael, however, wasn't convinced. He had visions of a 16-foot-long rolling shade for his deck.
I argued that 16 feet really was too long. It would hit the eaves. (We just put it up higher and drill into the siding.)
I argued the merits of price. While the larger retractable awning he had found would cost nearly $900 to ship to us, these large market umbrellas were only $99.99, plus they could be moved if we wanted. I reminded him that earlier, he had tried to convince that a 10x10 retractable awning would be just fine. As a point, however, I told him then that we should get the larger 14-foot- size to shade more area, because I felt we would be dissatisfied with that choice, despite the cost. (This was before he found the less expensive manufacturer of greater dimensions online.)
Against my advice, I actually threw in the towel and said, "do whatever you want to", he bought the retractable awning and awaited its arrival.
There was much joy that day.
Then came the reading of the instructions at least a hundred times.
Then, out came the measuring tape, again.
The 16-foot-awning was too big. Yes, too big for the area we had to put it up in, even raising where we would drill into the siding instead of the brick first floor.
"I told you so."
After much anguish, he decided to sell it. The intricacies of shipping it back included payment of the first, waived, shipping costs, in addition to the new shipping costs, both about $250 since semis had to be used.
By this time, however, the only models of the offset market umbrellas left in town were the display models, and those 2 had suffered damage. So, last weekend, it was off on a whirlwind visit to a nearby shopping mecca to see what those stores had left.
After much searching, we realized there wasn't much left.
Several stores had gazebos, with the umbrellalike tops above a 4-sided room structure. Several had mosquito netting on them. Quite a few of these were on sale.
We debated the idea of setting one of these on our deck, not sure if it would look too goofy. A neighbor of ours had one other their deck, which was of concrete, and it fit into its spot perfectly. We were afraid ours would look odd, stuck out a bit away from the house to be nearer the edge of the deck.
After a couple of hours of looking, we decided a gazebo would probably be OK.
But, one store had one offset market umbrella left, AND it had mosquito netting around it.
By this time I was enamored of the mosquito netting. One of my friends has mosquito netting on metal runners that slide around to enclose her porch, and they work very well.
One problem: The offset market umbrella cost $200, twice what I originally wanted to pay. However, this was basically the same price as all the other gazebos, whether or not they had mosquito netting.
More thinking. More waffling.
The choices, oh! the choices!
"Maybe we should just go with a regular, larger umbrella," Michael asked.
"No," I said. "This is what we had decided we wanted before we came up here. It's a bonus that it has the netting. I want it. Let's get it."
We took the slip from the sales associate and went to the front of the store to pay. Halfway there, Michael says, "I don't think we should get this. I'm turning around! We should get the regular umbrella."
I nearly screamed, but I didn't. I just forcefully reminded him this was what we wanted at the beginning of the spring anyway, until the idea of a retractable awning seduced him away from that decision.
Later that evening, we had the offset market umbrella up and the mosquito netting down. We enjoyed our supper overlooking our back yard.
Finally, the choice, and the decision, as difficult as they were to make and stick to, were made.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Harry Potter and the Hairdos
While double scheduling the evening of July 14th -- nephew's engagement party and Girl Scout Mother-Daughter Swim, both at 7 p.m. -- my eye slid to July 11, also doubled scheduled, uniform sale at Our Lady of Greenwood, 1 to 6 p.m., and the day that "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" arrives in theaters.
Getting to both events on the 14th will be impossible.
Attending OOTP and the uniform sale won't.
I am eagerly awaiting author J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter No. 7 later in July, too. (It's on order at my local bookstore.)
The movies are awesome.
But mostly I'm glad to see Hogwarts finally has a barber.
"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" was marred by way too much hair, way too long.
Long hair is part and parcel of being a witch or wizard. The adult actors wear their locks longer and carry it off, from Headmaster Dumbledore to Potions Professor Snape, though a bit greasily in his case. But the young teens peering from behind their waves of hair irritated me to the point that it nearly distracted me from the action.
Am I carrying this peeve too far?
The angst and self-consciousness common to the early teens is captured and portrayed in part by these hairdos.
Hermione finally finds out how to tame her tresses that threatened to make her look like a mushroom in the early movies. Pulling it back from her face, with tendrils softening the edges, made Hermione look older, more mature, wiser, more appealing, especially to the older love-interest character, Viktor. Each of these traits was important for her to convey since they are developed more fully in the book, GoF.
Harry's poufy hair still had to look untameable and try to stick up as described in the book. The cut reinforced the youth that Harry had to fight, being a much-younger boy in a magical contest for adult-age wizards.
But the hair on the Weasley actors heads! Argh!
Fred and George looked perfectly fine. Their straight hair hung much like older teens hair should. The cuts emphasized their malleable mugs on the jokesters.
Ginny Weasley's 'do I despair of. It was thin and unkempt, the length doing nothing to help the mousy air about her. Comparing the actress to Emma Watson, it's really hard to see how Ginny will metamorphosize into a young girl that could turn Harry's head. In OOTP, Ginny is compared several times to a cat, sleek and tossing her long hair in ways that a tigress might. I haven't seen much of the trailers, but it doesn't seem that the directors have helped that metamorphosis along.
But it was Ronald Weasley's (Rupert Grint) hair that drove me crazy. His wavy auburn locks are exactly the kind of hairdo that actress playing his sister needs.
But seeing him peer, sullen, angry and one-eyed, from the wall of hair, with its one wave that seemed to be a solid mass, made me want to scream.
We all know or have seen kids like that. Their hair is a curtain protecting them from the world, a place where they can hide and think their dark thoughts.
This is probably exactly the image the directors wanted to convey. GoF did drive a deep wedge between Harry and Ronald. But their reconciliation on screen didn't take away that awful head of hair Ron had.
From a couple of trailers I have seen, the warriors against evil seem to have visited the barber or hair stylist a couple of times.
Shorter hair make fighting the Death Eaters easier, I'm sure. All that exertion and running around makes you sweat, and you don't want heavy, sweaty hair hanging in your eyes and plastered to your neck making you hot and uncomfortable. Avoiding a hex or jinx is harder when you have to push your long hair out of your eyes.
Longer hair for the young teens will still be in evidence somewhere. There is a lot of angry and angst in OOTP to be communicated. Rowling used sentences in all upper case to convey the anger and yelling, most of it by Harry. Yelling is easier to do in the movies, though.
I can't wait until July 11th. Seeing the book brought to like on screen is a double-edged sword. There are things that will pop up, like all that long hair in the previous movie, that readers may not even considering when "seeing" the story in their minds.
Maybe I'll try to find a midnight screening, to avoid the double-scheduling.
Getting to both events on the 14th will be impossible.
Attending OOTP and the uniform sale won't.
I am eagerly awaiting author J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter No. 7 later in July, too. (It's on order at my local bookstore.)
The movies are awesome.
But mostly I'm glad to see Hogwarts finally has a barber.
"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" was marred by way too much hair, way too long.
Long hair is part and parcel of being a witch or wizard. The adult actors wear their locks longer and carry it off, from Headmaster Dumbledore to Potions Professor Snape, though a bit greasily in his case. But the young teens peering from behind their waves of hair irritated me to the point that it nearly distracted me from the action.
Am I carrying this peeve too far?
The angst and self-consciousness common to the early teens is captured and portrayed in part by these hairdos.
Hermione finally finds out how to tame her tresses that threatened to make her look like a mushroom in the early movies. Pulling it back from her face, with tendrils softening the edges, made Hermione look older, more mature, wiser, more appealing, especially to the older love-interest character, Viktor. Each of these traits was important for her to convey since they are developed more fully in the book, GoF.
Harry's poufy hair still had to look untameable and try to stick up as described in the book. The cut reinforced the youth that Harry had to fight, being a much-younger boy in a magical contest for adult-age wizards.
But the hair on the Weasley actors heads! Argh!
Fred and George looked perfectly fine. Their straight hair hung much like older teens hair should. The cuts emphasized their malleable mugs on the jokesters.
Ginny Weasley's 'do I despair of. It was thin and unkempt, the length doing nothing to help the mousy air about her. Comparing the actress to Emma Watson, it's really hard to see how Ginny will metamorphosize into a young girl that could turn Harry's head. In OOTP, Ginny is compared several times to a cat, sleek and tossing her long hair in ways that a tigress might. I haven't seen much of the trailers, but it doesn't seem that the directors have helped that metamorphosis along.
But it was Ronald Weasley's (Rupert Grint) hair that drove me crazy. His wavy auburn locks are exactly the kind of hairdo that actress playing his sister needs.
But seeing him peer, sullen, angry and one-eyed, from the wall of hair, with its one wave that seemed to be a solid mass, made me want to scream.
We all know or have seen kids like that. Their hair is a curtain protecting them from the world, a place where they can hide and think their dark thoughts.
This is probably exactly the image the directors wanted to convey. GoF did drive a deep wedge between Harry and Ronald. But their reconciliation on screen didn't take away that awful head of hair Ron had.
From a couple of trailers I have seen, the warriors against evil seem to have visited the barber or hair stylist a couple of times.
Shorter hair make fighting the Death Eaters easier, I'm sure. All that exertion and running around makes you sweat, and you don't want heavy, sweaty hair hanging in your eyes and plastered to your neck making you hot and uncomfortable. Avoiding a hex or jinx is harder when you have to push your long hair out of your eyes.
Longer hair for the young teens will still be in evidence somewhere. There is a lot of angry and angst in OOTP to be communicated. Rowling used sentences in all upper case to convey the anger and yelling, most of it by Harry. Yelling is easier to do in the movies, though.
I can't wait until July 11th. Seeing the book brought to like on screen is a double-edged sword. There are things that will pop up, like all that long hair in the previous movie, that readers may not even considering when "seeing" the story in their minds.
Maybe I'll try to find a midnight screening, to avoid the double-scheduling.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
My Brother Made Me Do It!
My brother, Matt, has been telling me that I need to have a blog for some time now, so I took the plunge tonight.
I have 5 minutes before the kids come inside for bed. Of course, they won't settle down quickly since my husband just set off 6 fireworks, the kind that have the soldier with a parachute. Three fell like rocks when their 'chutes didn't open, but the others floated a way so the kids gave chase.
This also woke up Daisy, the Boxer puppy, we have. This afternoon she hid under the bed when Mike and the kids set off a few fireworks. However, she was safe in her crate tonight, so she didn't seem too upset.
On our walk around Country Club, hence the name of my blog, we found out that a neighbor's dog is frightened of fireworks and thunder. A kind neighbor told us this, and my 10-year-old promptly confessed, "That was us." This dog was rescued from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and I felt bad to add to its distress. Louie, the poor thing, is going to have a tough time. My husband refers to a closet in the garage where his fireworks are stored as "The Ammo Dump."
It's bedtime now, so it's time to say goodbye. I promise to enlighten you with my thoughts and observations on all different subjects, which I hope you will find interesting, enlightening, thought-provoking or humorous.
Becky C.
I have 5 minutes before the kids come inside for bed. Of course, they won't settle down quickly since my husband just set off 6 fireworks, the kind that have the soldier with a parachute. Three fell like rocks when their 'chutes didn't open, but the others floated a way so the kids gave chase.
This also woke up Daisy, the Boxer puppy, we have. This afternoon she hid under the bed when Mike and the kids set off a few fireworks. However, she was safe in her crate tonight, so she didn't seem too upset.
On our walk around Country Club, hence the name of my blog, we found out that a neighbor's dog is frightened of fireworks and thunder. A kind neighbor told us this, and my 10-year-old promptly confessed, "That was us." This dog was rescued from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and I felt bad to add to its distress. Louie, the poor thing, is going to have a tough time. My husband refers to a closet in the garage where his fireworks are stored as "The Ammo Dump."
It's bedtime now, so it's time to say goodbye. I promise to enlighten you with my thoughts and observations on all different subjects, which I hope you will find interesting, enlightening, thought-provoking or humorous.
Becky C.
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