AVATAR

Yes, the James Cameron movie.  Yes, the movie that’s Fern Gully: The Last Rainforest meets Thundercats meets Pocahontas meets Dances with Wolves.  I freely admit that the storyline isn’t that original and at times seems rather contrived.  But, my friends, I love this movie.  Yes, I really do. 

I rewatched AVATAR again recently and every time I see it I fall more and more in love with it.  The characters have grown on me.  I love Jake and Neytiri’s relationship and how it evolves from distrust to acceptance, trust, and love.  I didn’t really come to appreciate Jake’s personal journey until recently, and I admire the writers’ ability to hint at Jake’s internal conflicts subtly and to not insult our intelligence by having long, drawn-out scenes of his agonizing over what he should and shouldn’t do.  In fact, I think if the storyline had been more complex, it would have bogged down the movie.  Cameron was already trying to introduce us to a complex world with complex rules, creatures and peoples, and to have a complex plot on top of all of that would have been too much for the average audience.

Not only do I enjoy the storyline itself, but the artist in me swoons (seriously, ha!) every time the forest lights up at night.  I remember when I was at the midnight premier, sitting there beside my friends with my 3-D glasses on, completely immersed in the word of Pandora, I literally gasped—as did the rest of the audience—when we saw the bioluminescent forest for the first time.  I still stare in wonder at the radiant beauty of it, at the shades of vibrant blues and greens and lurid purples and oranges of the foliage, of the creatures (especially the dragons) and of the alien people themselves.  

Yeah, they kind of look like Thundercats, but they are gorgeous in their alien way, with their huge golden eyes, long, thick black hair, their slender bodies and lyrical language.  I wouldn’t mind being one of them for a day or two, running along tree branches bigger than anything I’ve ever seen, flying on dragons amid floating mountains, being able to bond and communicate with all life on Pandora.  Cameron’s Pandora is incredible and to see such amazing detail come to life makes me believe that there has to be a world out there like it.  I’ve always believed that if we can imagine it, it has to exist somewhere in the universe, and so I want to believe that something like Pandora is out there among the distant stars.

Needless to say, I’m excited about the sequels that will be released in the next few years.  (Yes, I’ll be at the midnight premiers.)  Cameron has already said he wants to explore the oceans of Pandora…I can’t even imagine what they will be like—they’ll probably be just as exotically beautiful as the bioluminescent rainforest we were introduced to in the first movie.  

<3

Tumblr

Yes, I have one.  Islanded in a Stream of Stars

I got it quite a while ago but didn't really start to get into it til now.  It's a place where people join together to celebrate their fandoms, no matter what they are.

It's addicting, like Pinterest, and I love it, like I love Pinterest.

You should get one too!

Enjoy :)

<3

"Never Give Up Hope"

I just wanted to share my newest graphite pencil portrait "Never Give Up Hope" featuring Laura Roslin and William Adama from Battlestar Galactica.

This portrait is from the final scene of the episode Resurrection Ship....


Laura Roslin: Congratulations, Admiral Adama.
William Adama: Thank you, Madam President. I, umm, never gave up hope, I just...stopped trying to get these a long time ago.
Laura Roslin: Just goes to show you, Bill. Never give up hope.
William Adama: Same goes for you, Laura. 
(Bill kisses Laura)

"Never Give Up Hope"
Laura Roslin and William Adama from Battlestar Galactica
Graphite pencils
10 hours

Ever since completing my degree I've dived back into the series for the second time and there is so much more I'm picking up on...all the subtleties of the characters and their relationships with each other--especially those of Roslin and Adama's relationship.  Even though I know what's happening this time around, this couple still moves me to tears.  They don't even need to say anything to each other; sometimes the looks they share or a small touches they give each other here and there is enough for the tears to well up.

In this portrait I wanted to capture their chemistry and the specific poignant moment between them but I also wanted to somehow capture the love I have for them on paper.  I did this by paying close attention to detail, like the curve of Roslin's nose against his, each scar and pucker of Adama's cheek, how his fingers hold her chin firmly enough for her skin to wrinkle a little, the small smiles that play on their lips.

God, I love this show.

<3

"The Jackals In Their Dens Tremble At Her Approach"

“Come on, Grandma!  Let’s play dress-up!”  So I used to say to my grandma as I breezed past her after lunch, galloping up the stairs as fast as my little legs would go.  Then I would burst into my mom’s old room and make a beeline to the wooden cabinet where my grandma kept a lot of her costume and fine jewelry.  I would sit next to her on the floor and together we would go through each drawer.  Soon we were both bedecked in amethyst rings, turquoise necklaces, and silver and gold bracelets.  I remember on one of these dress-up days Grandma pulled out a white box I had never seen before and I peered down eagerly, wondering what sparkling treasure would be nestled inside.

It was a huge lion’s claw.  The top of it was set in heavy gold and it hung from a long, thick golden chain. 

I remember my jaw dropping and Grandma tells me that my eyes got so big as I stared in wonder at it.  “Is it real, Grandma?”  At her affirmative, I asked if I could hold it.  She let me, and I ran my fingers carefully over the smooth surface, carefully touching the sharp tip.  “It’s your grandpa’s,” she told me.  I loved it.  I have always loved furs, naturalistic jewelry, precious stones and rocks, fossils, and claws and teeth of all different kinds of animals—even at that young of an age my imagination was captivated.

Later that afternoon I asked Grandpa if he would tell me the story of how he got the lion’s claw necklace, and here it is: When Grandpa was a young man he and a few other men went to Africa to hunt the dangerous animals that were overpopulating the areas where people lived.  “These animals, Dana,” he told me, “are not like they portray on television.  It’s like they are completely different species from what you’ve seen on TV or at the zoo.  When you encounter them in the jungle, like I have, and you look in their eyes you can feel their wildness.  They are primitive, feral.”  The claw came from the paw of the male lion that my grandpa killed.  When he came back to America, he had the claws turned into necklaces.  The one I had seen upstairs was the biggest of the bunch.

After that day, every time I played dress-up with my grandma, I would look for the lion’s claw and hold it for a while before putting it lovingly back in its box.  And even though it has been years since I have played dress-up, I have never forgotten the lion’s claw necklace.  A couple days ago during the family’s Christmas dinner party, Grandpa, Grandma and I were sitting together in the living room, chatting and laughing about all kinds of things.  Then my cousin Max came in to show us what Santa brought him for Christmas: a rifle.  It was so cool, and as I watched Grandpa hold it, I asked him to tell us again about his hunting trip in Africa (it had been many, many years since I had last heard the story).  “I remember the lion’s claw necklace, Grandpa,” I told him once he was finished.  “I remember how I used to hold it and look at it all the time when I was little.  It captured my imagination.  Maybe it’s the barbarian in me,” I laughed, “but I love that lion’s claw necklace.  It’s really awesome.”

I have a very special relationship with my grandparents.  We deeply understand each other and saying that we are best friends and kindred spirits doesn’t quite fully explain the profound and loving relationship we have.  Being the beautiful, generous souls that they are, my grandparents wanted to take me out to my favorite restaurant, PF Chang’s, for a celebratory lunch in honor of my completed MA degree and student teaching (my mom came too, which was really nice!).  When we were all seated, Grandma pulled a small box wrapped in golden paper with a shiny gold bow out of her purse and gave it to Grandpa.  Then he reached across the table to place it in my hands, saying, “Here’s an old Moroccan Proverb that suits you now that you’ve accomplished so much and will continue to do so: ‘The lions in their dens tremble at h[er] approach.’”  I grinned and in my mind, I thought, No way.  Not quite daring to believe, I carefully unwrapped the box, opened it, and there nestled inside was the lion’s claw necklace I’d loved for so many years.  I remember exclaiming and looking up at them, fingers tracing the familiar smoothness and sharp tip.  “We wanted you to have this, Dana,” Grandma said.  Gratitude welled up in my heart because the necklace represents so much to me and I thanked them both.  Grandpa smiled and asked, “Do you want to wear that now?”  “Of course!” I replied, clasping it securely around my neck.  Then Grandpa said, “Maybe this is more fitting for you: ‘The jackals in their dens tremble at her (the lioness’s) approach’—the lioness is you!”  “I like that, Grandpa,” I laughed, pressing the claw against my heart.  “I am a Leo, after all!” 

I couldn’t stop fingering the lion’s claw necklace—now my lion’s claw necklace—as my mom and I drove home.  I was so happy and so appreciative and so aware of their pride in me and their love for me that I began to cry.  The lion’s claw necklace is so much more than just a necklace: it symbolizes my grandparents’ strength, their courage, their generosity, and their love.  I haven’t taken the necklace off all day.  And whenever I wear it in the future I will always think of them.

Me and my lion's claw necklace.  Maybe I should think of a name for it!

<3

Gone, Yet Still With Me

Anne McCaffrey, one of my very favorite authors, passed away back in November.  When my brother told me the news, I remember tears filling my eyes—I couldn’t believe that she was no longer with us, writing her incredible tales.  She really was—and is—the Queen of Science Fiction.  Anne has transformed the SciFi genre into something completely new and exciting by creating worlds and characters that both men and women can relate to and love as if they are real places and people.

When I was in seventh grade, Grandpa bought me Anne’s Dragonflight, the first novel in her Dragonriders of Pern series.  I was instantly captivated by the cover which depicts a huge, golden dragon soaring across a vibrant green sky with a glowing red planet seemingly pulsing in the background.  I remember wondering who the dragon and the young woman riding it were so I eagerly turned to the first page and was instantly transported to a world unlike any other I had ever visited before:

A lush and beautiful world called Pern where gold, bronze, brown, blue and green dragons live in rapport with the women and men they bond with.  I had never read a story before where dragons, when they are born, choose a man or woman to be theirs, and once they have chosen, their minds are so profoundly linked with their humans’ that they can communicate mentally with them and feel everything the other feels.  And when the female dragons (gold and green) rise to mate with the males (bronze, brown and blue)…well, let me tell you (one romantic to another) it gets pretty darn steamy since their humans are linked mentally with them down on the ground, experiencing what they are experiencing…it’s enough to make me blush.  The Pernese men and women and their dragons share and experience everything together.  It’s like they are two halves of one soul, or two souls made one—one cannot live without the other once the bond is made at the dragon’s birth, and once the bond is made, it cannot be undone.  I had never read a story before where the dragons are always the “good guys,” battling a constant threat in the form of deadly spores that rain down from the sky—silvery, deadly spores that burn and absorb anything organic they touch, turning vegetation to barren wastelands—by using their ability to breathe fire, searing them from the sky before they can reach the ground.  I had never read a story before where dragons could teleport not just between places but between times as well (yes, I said time travel).  I had never read a story before that combined elements of both fantasy and science fiction so effortlessly that it created an entirely new genre of its own.  And, come to think of it, I had never read a story before where I actually forgot I was reading because the world of Pern, its dragons and its characters became so real to me—and are still so very real to me to this day.

Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
The golden dragon is Ramoth and her rider is Lessa
Painting by Michael Whelan

I have lived and breathed this series that spans seventeen novels and many short stories for years.  Every time I read it it’s like I’m visiting old friends.  I have collected all of the novels in hardcover and softcover.  I own all of the Collector’s and Book Club editions of the novels.  I met Anne in person quite a few years ago and she signed the well-read and well-loved copy of Dragonflight Grandpa gave me.  Because Anne is the inspirational woman that she is, in middle school I began dabbling in creative writing by inventing my own dragonrider characters, penning down their stories and making illustrations to go along with them (sadly I can’t find those stories but I still have many of the drawings).  When I was in high school I joined an online Pern-based writing club—one of the few that had been officially approved by Anne herself—and created, very thoroughly I might add, my own dragonrider characters and wrote their stories alongside many other talented and devoted fans.  I poured my heart and soul into many of the storylines I created with the other club members, and like Anne’s characters, my own became just as real.  (I hope to return to the club and my characters one day!) 

When you love a fictional—and yet real—world like Pern with all your heart and when you devote so much creative energy to play in that world…it’s hard to describe just how much it becomes a part of you.  To know that the creator of Pern is no longer with us is very sad and my heart ached when my brother told me she had passed on.  However, I really can’t be too sad because she lives on in her novels and short stories, and because I know that her soul is certainly in a much better place now—and she is probably blissfully soaring across the astral heavens on her own golden dragon even as I write this.

Anne McCaffrey

<3

Finis

“Hi, is this Doris?”

“Yes it is.”

“Oh hi, it’s Dana.  I forgot if I was supposed to call you today or tomorrow for the Comps scores.”

“Oh, well I have them right here in front of me, if you want to know…”

*deep breath*  “Sure!  Let’s hear it.”

“Let’s see…  Dana…  You got a pass.”

“I passed?”

“You passed!”

“I passed!”

Me and Molly right after taking the Comps
We both passed!

Well, my friends, after 19 years, I’m finally done with school!  This semester I have completed the English Literature Masters Program by finishing up my last class (hooray for Beowulf!) and by passing the Comps exam with my dear friend Molly by my side; and at the same time I have also completed the Multiple Subject Credential Program for teaching grades K-8.  To all those who think that you can’t complete both programs at the same time: you can.  If you have the will, the patience to apply yourself, and a positive attitude, you can.  I have.  But it certainly wasn’t a cake walk.  I worked very hard for the last two and a half years.  This last semester was perhaps the hardest I have ever worked.  I didn’t draw and I didn’t read for fun and I didn’t have a social life outside my one masters class and student teaching.  I lived in my own world of constant lesson planning, teaching, TPA3 and TPA4 preparation and writing, Beowulf-reading and essay writing, and Comps exam preparation.  The week before Thanksgiving was the week where I began sprinting toward the end of the semester because all TPAs and essays were due and the Comps test date was looming—and I made it!  So it’s possible, guys.  I’m living proof!  I want to thank all of those who have supported and encouraged me through this final semester: God, my dear family, my master teachers Donna and Vickie, my professors Dr. van Elk, Ilan, and Mimi, my dearest friends (you all know exactly who you are :D), and my awesome student teacher girls Kasey, Kari and Jenny.  I couldn’t have done it without all of you—thank you!

Me and Donna

I’ve grown up so much in this last year, and especially in this last semester.  I’ve discovered new strengths I didn’t even know I had until I was taking charge of 30 first graders and 33 sixth graders.  And I’ve discovered that I really love teaching—especially the little ones.  Before I started student teaching I wasn’t sure if I would even like teaching.  I remember being so nervous about embarking on this journey that I didn’t sleep much my last weekend of summer vacation because I was fretting so.  It turns out that all the anxiety I felt was unnecessary.  My experiences in both primary grade and upper grade were wonderful.  I love both my master teachers.  I love the kids.  I love the school environment.  I love teaching.  The principal of the last elementary school I was at has given me paperwork to become a sub for the district and I am well on my way to making my subbing license official (as are the rest of my student teacher friends who completed this amazing journey with me)! 

Jenny, Kasey, Phoenix, Vickie, Me, Michelle and Kari

So what’s next for me now that I’m done with school?  Well, getting my subbing license is first on the list.  Passing the RICA is next.  Then getting a full-time job with (hopefully!) a primary grade.  But until then?  Right now I’m basking in the glow of knowing that I’m done with school.  I’m really enjoying Christmas vacation (I’ve just finished decorating the Christmas tree!  I wound over 1,500 lights within the branches and lovingly nestled all my favorite ornaments in perfect places while I sang along to Celine Dion’s Christmas album).  I’ve been mentally and physically resting.  I’ll be getting back to exercising and eating more healthy.  I’m working on commissions and I’ll finally be drawing for myself again.  I’ll be reading novels that are on the “Once I’m Done With School” list.  I’ll be hanging out with my friends.  I’ll be going to work at my family’s company and I’ll be thanking God every day that I have a job. 

One phase of my life is over and a new one is just beginning.  Every time I think about the future ahead of me I get so excited.  Bring it, world!  :)

<3

Happiness

Even though I’m stressing about so many things right now I’m trying to take the time to find happiness in every part of my day and acknowledge consciously that I’m happy—and honestly it hasn’t been that hard!  I’m loving what I’m doing with my life right now.  Being a student teacher is so much fun!  It’s a lot of work, yes, but it’s one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.  I love the kids, both the first and sixth graders, and my master teachers.  They all make me smile and laugh every single day.

When I was with my first grade class their sweetness, “love notes” (little mementos they drew or wrote to me…I have a huge pile!), hugs and stories brightened my days.  I even got a written marriage proposal from one of them—my first marriage proposal ever!—and I quote: “Will you mere me.  Can we have a date.”  And he drew a house with me and him together in it.  It was so sweet.  I received it on my last day and the boy who gave it to me didn’t put his name on it, but I remember thinking to myself that I had never gotten a "love note" from this boy before.  I wish he had written his name!  My last day with my first graders was perhaps one of the brightest days in my student teaching experience.  It was bittersweet, of course, but so many good things happened that day: my master teacher and I had our traditional Starbucks together, we gave each other gifts (she gave me a framed picture of us together with our first graders), there was a feast of autumnal goodies put together by all the master teachers since we student teachers were leaving, I was given presents and more love notes from my kids, and they were all especially wonderful the entire day.  Earlier that week I had made up little parting gifts to give to each of them (one Disney pencil and pen per student tied together with curly yellow ribbon, an Achievement Certificate: the Outstanding Scientist Award, personalized for each student and signed by me, and I also gave each of them a really cool holographic African animal sticker, or “scientist badge,” made by National Geographic to wear the entire day).  As I called up each student to give them their present and award, I got hugs from them all, including the boys who tended to be so shy!  Not only did I get hugs, I got “I don’t want you to go” “I’m going to miss you” and “I love you” from everyone.  I had the biggest lump in my throat but I was able to hold it together fairly well (my master teacher and I had already cried twice that day, so I was trying to keep the threatening tears back as best as I could) but once the bell rang for dismissal and all my kids surrounded me, hugging me so tightly that I couldn’t move, I completely broke down and cried.  I reassured them that I was okay, that I was crying just because I was going to miss them so much!  And in response they hugged me all the harder.  I promised them I’d come back and see them as often as I could—and I will!  Even though it was a sad day, it was also one of the brightest and happiest days, if that makes any sense at all. 

I haven’t had as much time yet with the sixth grade class I’m in but I’m starting to get to know the kids better day by day—and they’re growing on me, for sure!  I really like them.  They’re at that age when their senses of humor are starting to come out and they have me smiling and laughing all the time!  When I look at them, I see myself in them—the kid in me.  I love it when they find any excuse to get me to talk to them.  They’ll raise their hands, ask a question, and then make a comment, which of course turns into a conversation…one that I usually have to cut short, but I love that they do it!  I remember doing the exact same thing to my teachers (whom I loved!) when I was in sixth grade and to see that they’re pulling the same stuff I did when I was little to show me that they like me really makes me happy. 

I’m learning so much about how to be a successful teacher and I’m learning all over the place: in the classroom, in the lounge, in parent-teacher conferences, in staff and grade-level meetings and in talks with both my master teachers.  These two women inspire me, and I mean that with all my heart.  It’s hard to explain why they inspire me…but I’m going to try to put it into words…  They’re witty, clever, intelligent, funny, honest, genuine, caring, appreciative, supportive, encouraging, positive, multi-talented and open-minded.  They’re great story-tellers.  They give me really awesome advice, and not just about teaching but they also offer it to me in other aspects of life.  They make me smile and laugh and I’m really happy when I’m around them.  There is no doubt in my mind that God had His hand in placing me with them at this point in my life and I’m blessed to know them.

<3

Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.

I know right?  Battlestar Galactica.  Like the rest of the characters in the show The Office, and everyone else who watched The Office, I too laughed at Dwight for liking the show because I knew it had the reputation of “being that scifi show that was really nerdy.”  But I really shouldn’t have scoffed at him or anyone else (fictional or real) who likes it because it’s all I’ve been watching since the summer began.  Yes, my friends, it is that good.  My friend Sam recommended the show to me last winter, telling me I’d probably enjoy it so I should try it.  I trust Sam’s word, so that Christmas I went ahead and bought the first season on Amazon.

I was completely hooked in the first 5 minutes of the pilot. 

I couldn’t look away.  Everything about the show drew me in: the sets, the music, the writing, the acting.  The cast is incredible and this paired with such excellent writing created characters who became real people to me.  I watched the entire first season by myself last winter and knew that I had to finish the journey through the next three seasons—I had to know how the story ended, but I didn’t want to travel the path alone.  Once the insanely-busy Spring semester was over and summer finally began, I convinced my family—including my awesome grandparents—to watch it with me and now they are just as in love with it as I am!

The plot of Battlestar Galactica isn’t new.  We’ve seen the same premise before in Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, Ridley Scott’s movie Bladerunner, the Wachowski brothers’ The Matrix, and countless other books and films: humanity decides to play God by creating a new race of sentient beings and pays the ultimate price for their arrogance and conceit.  Battlestar Galactica is the tale of the war between the twelve colonies of humans and the cylons they created to be their slaves.  Humanity, however, is at an extreme disadvantage when the show begins because the cylons have destroyed most of the human race, leaving only 50,000 humans left.  This saga is about how these people, these survivors of a terrible holocaust, deal with the threat of extinction on a public and personal level.

Not since The X-Files and LOST have I cared so deeply and so passionately about a show and the characters in it, both cylon and human.  These characters of Battlestar Galactica have become real people to me and I love trying to get inside their heads to figure them out.  They fight, they bleed, they make mistakes, they play cards, they drink, they smoke, they have affairs, they die, they try, they pray, they cry, they conspire, they stand tall, they try to do the right thing, they laugh, they love.  If you know me personally then you know what a romantic I am, so of course the profound romances that develop between many of the characters have especially captured my imagination.  But the one relationship between my two favorite characters of the show, William Adama and Laura Roslin, is the one that has captured my heart.

William Adama is the commander of the battlestar ship Galactica.  He is a father and warrior.  He is brave, strong of heart and mind, honorable and loyal.  He loves his people.  He faces his fears and does what is hardest to do.  He is the kind of man men want to become and thus has not only the respect but the love of his people.  Laura Roslin becomes president of the colonies after the cylon attack that wipes out most of humanity on the twelve planets.  She is poised, intelligent, clever and sharp-witted.  Like Adama, she is brave and strong in heart and mind.  She believes in her convictions and doesn’t back down even if her beliefs are unpopular.  These two characters have their flaws, of course—they’re human, after all—and I love seeing them acknowledge and face these flaws of theirs.  It’s part of what makes them so intriguing. 

At the beginning of the series, Roslin and Adama are wary allies.  But as the series progresses, their relationship slowly unfolds from this cautious alliance to a partnership of mutual respect and trust, which develops naturally into a deep friendship and then into a love so profound that it has brought tears to my eyes many times.  Theirs is the kind of romance that inspires me because it isn’t rushed.  It takes the entire series for these two to get from point A to point D and I loved seeing them get closer and closer every episode.  As I went through the seasons I looked forward to every scene they had together, wondering what they would say to each other this time, or what little touch would one bestow on the other, or how they would look at each other.  I love this couple because they trust each other, because they danced together, because they share a love of books, because she knows what’s best for him, because he tells her what she needs to hear, because they find an inner peace when they are with each other, because they make each other laugh, because they miss each other, because they understand each other, because he sang to her, because they have their disagreements, because they forgive each other, because their walls come down when they are with each other, because her home is where he is, because they are there for each other, because he read to her, because he left the fleet to find her, because they got high together, because she told him her dream, because he brought her dream to life, because she made him believe, because they have their own song titled “Roslin and Adama” on the series soundtrack, because you would be a complete and utter fool to cross them, because they are each other’s strength and weakness, because they kissed, because they made love, because one cannot live without the other, because they love each other.

So…moral of the story: do yourself a favor and watch Battlestar Galactica.  And don’t scoff until you've watched the pilot.  I made that mistake already and have laughed at myself ever since!  The show explores so many themes and life lessons relevant to life today that you might take something more from it than just the satisfaction of watching a TV saga of quality.  And if you do watch it, I hope you love it—and I hope you love Adama and Roslin as much as I do!

<3

My Journey with Harry Potter

Everyone has their Harry Potter story.  This is mine.

My long and epic journey with Harry Potter began back in 1997 and I have my dear Grandpa to thank for it.  He had always—and still does—encourage my love of reading.  When I was a little girl he’d take me to Barnes and Noble (then called Bookstar) and would set me loose among the shelves to find novels I wanted to read.  After watching me browse, he would get a feel for what genres I liked and would go on his own hunt for me…and would eventually come back with his arms full of all kinds of books.  Together we would kneel down in an aisle and would go through the back of each one.  Grandpa would always help fill my basket up—sometimes we even needed two!  It was Grandpa who had heard about the new British author, JK Rowling, and how her book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone had captured the hearts and imaginations of so many children.  Since Grandpa knew I loved books with magic in them, he went to Bookstar on his own one day and bought Sorcerer’s Stone and gave it to my mom to give to me. 

It was one of the best presents Grandpa has ever given me.  Harry Potter isn’t just a book series.  It’s so much more than that.  It’s a phenomenon, and I’m not sure how you can explain a phenomenon.  I know I can’t really find the words to explain how much the series means to me and why.  It’s a mystery, it’s magical, and it’s a story in which you can connect emotionally with each character, whether they are major or minor.  It’s a story about good and evil, love, loyalty, bravery, and sacrifice.  When I first started reading it I could not put it down.  I remember staying up long past my bedtime because I had to unravel the magical mystery of Harry Potter.

As the years passed and I got older, Harry got older with me.  When the fourth book came out a couple of my childhood friends, my brother, my mom and I went to Barnes and Noble for the first ever Harry Potter midnight book release.  I remember the employees pushing giant carts filled with nothing but copies the book down the aisles to the cash registers—but the tops were covered because the dustjacket and title were supposed to remain a secret and a surprise for everyone until the stroke of midnight.  I remember being absolutely delighted with the cover once it was unveiled, and we all were trying to predict what would happen and who the new characters were on the ride home.  When we all got back to my house that night we read together for at least an hour before going to bed. 

As I entered into high school the first movie came out in theatres and the fandom reached a new, incredible high.  I’m proud to say that I have taken part in every part of Harry fandom, have taken an actual Harry Potter class to fulfill a GE requirement during undergrad, and have gone to all the midnight premiers of the movies and the books.  I have three very favorite Harry Potter memories.  One was when I went to the midnight book release of Deathly Hallows.  I went to the Bella Terra Barnes and Noble Harry Potter party with my high school friends, my cousin and my brother and we all had a blast!  The store was decked out in Harry Potter decorations: banners of the four houses were hung from the balcony and golden snitches were hung from every ceiling panel.  People, young and old, either came in Harry Potter-themed home-made or Hot Topic shirts or came in costume—one kid even brought his pet snake!  When the clock stuck twelve pandemonium erupted in the store.  The excitement and happiness was palpable—and you should have seen the parking lot!  Hundreds of people were milling around the outside of the store, waiting for those who had reserved copies to hurry up and finish purchasing so they could have their turn.  Both my brother and I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning that night to read it—and we both finished it the following night.  I remember weeping non-stop during the last few chapters.  My bed was riddled with Kleenex and I can remember my heart breaking when I finally learned the Prince’s Tale, when Fred, Lupin and Tonks died, when Harry spoke to the spirits of his dead family and friends before going to Voldemort to die, and when Dumbledore came to Harry at King’s Cross. 

In the same year that Deathly Hallows was released, my brother and I were two of 2,000 people who won tickets from Scholastic to go meet JK Rowling and have a book signed at the Carnegie Hall in New York.  That was an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I will never forget! 

My third favorite memory was going to the midnight premier of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II last week.  I went with two of my dearest friends, Sam and Molly, and Molly’s family.  I decided to bake Harry Potter “Puppet Pals” cupcakes for the occasion and as I baked I remembered how bittersweet it had been to hold the final book in my hands back in 2007 because I knew it would be the last time I’d be adventuring with Harry, Ron and Hermione.  But at the time I had consoled myself with the fact that there were still the movies to look forward to—but now the movies are over.  I enjoyed every moment of waiting in line for the movie that night—even though I was very aware that it was the last Harry Potter event, I didn’t let it subdue me.  It was so much fun to talk with my friends about our favorite moments in the books and movies, to take pictures with the giant cardboard cutouts of the characters, and watch those who had come in costume.  Some guy dressed up as a dementor battled it out with a stormtrooper.  Yes, a stormtrooper.  From Star Wars.  It was hilarious!

The movie itself was amazing.  We fans cheered when we recognized the famous lines characters had said in the book (such as Molly Weasley’s “Not my daughter, you bitch!” to Bellatrix), and we wept when Snape was murdered, when Harry gathered his tears, and when we saw into his memories of his relationship with Lily.  Alan Rickman is incredible and he will always be Snape—no other actor could ever be him.  Ever.  Tears streamed down my cheeks when Snape held Lily’s lifeless body in his arms and I had to pull out the Kleenex from my purse and share it with my girls. 

Once the movie ended and the credits started rolling the applause was deafening.  We were all laughing and wiping away our tears and I remember just living in the moment, soaking it all in, since it was the last time all the fans and friends would be together united in Harry Potter love. 

Thank you, Jo Rowling, for a wonderful 14 years.  I have stuck with Harry until the very end and have enjoyed every moment.  You’ve created a world that is unique and special and I consider myself blessed to have been a part of the magic.

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Instagram

I love Instagram.  It’s my favorite iPhone app.  Molly first introduced me to it last semester and I thought to myself, “Self, when I get an iPhone, I will get this app!”  When I finally bought my iPhone last week at Walmart for a really good deal it was the first app I downloaded—yes, I even downloaded it before the Facebook one! 

Instagram brings out the inner-photographer in me.  This app is not just a camera—it’s an *artistic* camera because it has several different filters you can choose from to put the photos through to make them appear brighter with high contrast, or more subdued and soft with a romantic feel.  I’m really enjoying documenting my days using Instagram.  I like working on training my eye in how to make the every day things artsy and fun.  Since I don’t have a lot of time to draw, this helps me tap into and explore my artistic side.

Some photos to share...

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