Harry Potter - My Beauty and the Beast of Books

I can't even remember the last time I blogged on this site ... I am so woefully out of practice :(

The last year or so, I have just felt so BUSY. I never really understood how work could keep someone busy when they usually do, at most, 9 hours in a day. I also used to run on roughly 3-4 hours of sleep a night and crash on weekends, so to be fair, I had more hours in the day. Now I'm 23, and work full time in a job that requires a fair amount of my time outside of working hours. I do planning, I buy supplies, I blog/Facebook/Tweet for my job. This has significantly dwindled my free time.

As a result, I watch very little TV, I don't read nearly as much as I used to, and my writing has become virtually nonexistent.

It makes me sad to think about it like this.

So, I shall blog. I shall try to reclaim a little of my previous self.

Yesterday was a great day for that. The Harry Potter Exhibit came to the Telus World of Science.

For those who don't know, Harry Potter is kind of like my Beauty and the Beast of books (even though Beauty and the Beast was, in fact, a book). When it came out, my Mum was loaned a copy from her physiotherapist. I believe I was in grade 3 at the time, and had read more in grade 1 than I was currently reading. My Mum, in her infinite wisdom, started reading it to me, but only a few chapters at a time. She would always leave off at a cliffhanger, making me desperate for more.

It became a ritual of sorts. When the Harry Potter books came out, we read them, until I was thirsty enough for the story that I wanted more, and couldn't wait to read them with her. In short, she revived my love of reading. She made it an obsession.

The first fan-fiction I ever wrote was a challenge at YouthWrite. I believe it was when the 6th book had come out, and as a group, we challenged ourselves to write a story pairing two characters who wouldn't normally be together. Some wrote Snape/Trelawney, some wrote Filch/McGonagall, etc. I wrote a Snape/Hermione fic, and absolutely fell in love with the pairing. I wanted more. I started to read fan-fiction like it was the air I was breathing. I branched off into other shows, other genres. I created my own fan-fiction account, and started posting my stories online. The feedback I received was wonderful, getting better as I grew as an author. I fell in love with writing all over again. I thrived on the reviews I got, spurring me to write more and more.

My own first novel was not as long as my best Harry Potter fan-fiction, "Going Home". I have immersed myself in the world of Harry Potter for about 16 years. I can remember how it felt when Harry spoke to the snake in the zoo, all the way to the final confrontation in the Battle of Hogwarts. I cried when Sirius died and was convinced that Dumbledore wasn't really dead all the way up to the meeting with Abe in the Hog's Head. (What with Fawkes's tears and the emphasis on nonverbal spells in that 6th book!) I nearly threw my book across the room when Fred died, and cursed emphatically that Percy should have died instead. I watched each movie, growing annoyed at the changes while loving some of the originality. When Gary Oldman joined the cast, I did many happy dances.

Anyway ... I can keep going with all of my wonderful Harry Potter memories, or I can get to the meat of this blog.

The chance to see this Exhibit was something I could not pass up. My sister and I were already going to see Catching Fire in theatres, so I asked for an extra outing. She got us tickets. I have so much love for this woman.

It started with a trip to the Sorting Hat. They asked for volunteers, and with a little nudge from my No. 1 sis, I thrust my hand in the air and piped, "ME!" I had a little trouble getting onto the stool (slippery pants), and after a nice voice-over from the hat itself, I was sorted into Slytherin ;)

Next, we moved into a room where scenes from the movies played on a number of screens. It was a lovely flashback through the years. When the scenes ended, a door opened, and a blinding white light flooded the room. A train whistle sounded, and a voice ushered us forward. It was the Hogwarts Express ... I think my smile tried to escape my face at that point. I was so excited, I thought we were going to get a chance to sit on the Hogwarts Express ... sadly, we just passed by it (more to see).

The rest of the exhibit was filled with pictures (some of them moving), such as the Fat Lady trying to shatter her glass, and Sirius Black's Wanted Poster. We got to see the clothes they wore, the books they read (including the Monster Book of Monsters, which looked AWESOME), their wands. I got to see the Half-Blood Prince's Potions book, complete with notes in the margins :)

I got to pull at Pomona Sprout's mandrakes, and shoot Quaffles through Quidditch hoops. I saw the Maurader's Map and sat in Hagrid's chair. I got to experience how Harry felt looking up at Hagrid for the first time, because good god he was HUGE! I got to watch Norbert shaking in his egg, and tour the Great Hall. I saw the Dark Mark in the sky, and bowed to Buckbeak.

It was so much; everything that I'd hoped for and more. When I got to the gift shop, I purchased Severus Snape's wand, a Slytherin scarf, Sirius Black's Wanted Poster, a chocolate frog, and Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans :) I got a picture with a rook from the Wizarding Chess Set, and was so full of happiness. It was awesome.

Now I shall go back home, and re-read the Harry Potter books for the 20th time. I will still cry when Sirius dies, and cheer when Hermione slaps Draco. I will forever love these books, and cherish the memory of getting to immerse myself in the world of Harry Potter with my sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew.

Make Mama Smile: 6 - 10

This started almost two weeks ago now, with a call saying I'd placed the winning bid on a picture of Bobby Orr, my Mum's favorite hockey player. Now, my quest is simple: make my Mum smile at least once a day.

Here are days 6 through 10.

Day 6: Made her a "book frame". The photos are of me and her playing with a dragon puppet - yes, it does roar.

Day 7: Bobby Orr has arrived! I had to take a video of the event, as well as pictures. Mama was crying happy tears. She later informed me I'd spent way too much on a picture - while still grinning ear to ear.

Day 8: Got her a hanging picture that says: "If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!" True that, man.

Day 9: Got her a Christopher Reeves book, one of her favorite actors.

Day 10: Made her a couple of Love Bugs for Valentine's Day.

I'm working on a bigger gift for her, and have tomorrow's ready to go!

Operation Make Mama Smile - So it Begins!

This started about five days ago. My mum absolutely loves Bobby Orr - he is her FAVORITE hockey player. A while back, I'd placed a bid on a picture of Bobby Orr for her. Five days ago, I got a call saying I'd placed the winning bid. My mum cried with happiness. The next day, she made a random comment that I didn't have to do it just once, I could make her that happy every day. So, the next day, I brought her a framed, blue-winged butterfly. She hung it on the wall with a smile on her face. Later, she said to me, "You may be starting a precedent you can't keep up with."

Challenge accepted.

Day 1: The phone call that started it all:

 

Day 2: The butterfly. 

Day 3: I run an after school program at my Library. With Valentine's Day coming up, I had the kids make Valentine Flowers for their parents. I made one for my Mum. The text says, "Love you, Momer".

Day 4: My co-workers have totally got on board with this project, and have given me some interesting ideas for things to do to make my Mum smile. One coworker suggested I make hearts out of snow. I melted the snow in my hands, formed the hearts, and then sprayed them with food coloring and water to make them red. She loved them.

Day 5: I brought her a hardcover copy of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", inscribed: "To my Mum, for giving my the greatest gift of all: words. I love you."
Between Grade 1 and Grade 3, I'd stopped reading altogether. I had no interest in it. I was a very wild child. My Mum's physiotherapist let her borrow the 1st Harry Potter book, and she started reading it to me, always leaving off on a cliffhanger, so I'd be desperate for more.
She gave me my love of reading.

... Tomorrow's gift is made, and ready to go! Stay tuned for more!