Showing posts with label Harry Potter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harry Potter. Show all posts

Friday, November 21, 2014

A few of my favorite things . . .

Before I had James, I did a journal prompt that was titled "100 Things I Love." I recently revisited this list and enjoyed it so much, I wanted to add it to the blog.

Here we go:

100 Things I Love: (in no particular order)

Skinny jeans. Finishing an art project. Music. The feeling after working out. Candy. Surprises. Fruit. Painting. Pictures. Learning. Halloween. A clean kitchen. Cinnamon rolls. Nostalgia. Alphabetizing. Rain. Lemonade. Summer. Organized spaces. Dustin Kensrue. Spaghetti. Mean Girls. Psychology. Fireworks. Purple. Family. The smell of fall. Alaska. Sleeping in. Spice cake. The 4th of July. Tommy Boy. Being LDS. Neuroscience. Mountains. Presents. Harry Potter. Pad Thai. Reading. Mom. Singing in the car. Lists. The 90's. Sunshine. Temples. Warm concrete on bare feet after the sun goes down. Kissing. Crafting. Nieces and nephews. Picture frames. JACOB. The smell of laundry detergent. Laughing. Having the day off. Being outside. Vacation. Doodling. Thrice. Thunderstorms. Cuddling. Playing games. Trees. Volleyball. Buying small notebooks/journals. Mopping. Snow cones. Shopping (not grocery). Nail polish. Lemon meringue pie. Teal. Apple/cinnamon scents. Shaved legs + clean sheets. Guitars. Staying up late talking. Vans shoes. Hot tubs. Prismacolors. Christmas. Ron Swanson. Clouds. Garlic. Scrapbook paper. Walking barefoot on sand. Following through. Hanging out. Screen printing. Hermione Granger. Cardigans. Sushi. Mom's homemade ham & potato soup. Hugs. Screamo. Corn on the cob. Doner Kebab. Vienna. Virgin margaritas. JAMES. Volcom. Kayaking. Sour cream & onion potato chips.

I looooove making lists (obviously, it's in the above list), but this list has to make me more happy than any other list!

Monday, July 18, 2011

The greatest fiction ever written . . .

Two posts in one day. I'm on a roll. (Serious spoilers in this one.)

Tomorrow night I am going to go see "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" with my husband. This is a monumental day, although it was more of a monumental day when the book series actually ended.

It marks the ending of a generational bonding moment really. When people talk about cohort effects in psychology classes years from now, maybe we will be referred to as the "Harry Potter" generation. We were the ones that were young while it came out. We were the perfect age to read the first one, still considered child-young adult fiction, and yet mature enough to read and understand the Deathly Hallows when it came out. Personally, I am glad that I apart of this generation. Harry Potter is so dang amazing.

I don't know how to even express it sometimes, but I think that Harry Potter is one of the most masterfully written book series of all time. I feel this way for several reasons.

Firstly, there is something exciting about reading stories that are monumental. There are plenty of books about everyday life. But Harry Potter is about the eternal fight of good vs. evil. Saving the world from evil is a lot more interesting to read about than breaking up with someone or junior prom. I like reading books that have a real purpose and meaning to them.

Second, I love the intricacies of the series (cannot believe that is a word.) There are so many tiny pieces of this series that fit together so nicely and make the story really seem realistic. J. K. Rowling is the queen of tying up loose ends. I am so impressed with the way she works in little things from the earlier books so they become significant in the last books.

Third, and perhaps I will step into controversial ground here, the symbolism in this book is amazing. Everytime I read the Deathly Hallows, I can't help being reminded of Christ. Yes, Harry is far from perfect and he is not the best Christ-figure in literature, but when he walks into death, willingly, lead by his white-haired father figure, I am reminded of the terrifying and painful sacrifice that Christ made to save us. Not to mention the whole resurrection thing. But I love that something that so many people deem as "evil" and banned it from libraries reminds me of the higher purpose in life.

So tomorrow night symbolizes the end of a long journey for me. From reading the Sorceror's stone in elementary school, to closing the final page of the Deathly Hallows, from watching the first movie, with its awkward children and sub-par visual effects, to experiencing "the motion-picture event of a lifetime" (that just happened to gross $100 million on opening day), it has been a great ride.

I will forever love Harry.