The Literary Genius of J.K. Rowling

I just want to say flat out that I love Harry Potter!
A few years ago, I was obsessed with Twilight and I assured my friend that it was definitely better than Harry Potter. I have since recanted as I have awoken from my fiendish stupor. I finished the 7th book (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for those who haven't heard) last saturday; once completed I literally sat in my chair for ten minutes marvelling at the masterpiece that I had just experienced. Okay, so I'm dramatizing a bit, but hey, I love the books! :) Anyway, I have of course read the books before but each time is a magical (hehe) experience. Besides the brilliance of of the series itself, I have great respect for J.K. Rowling's writing ability and talent. One thing that I especially admire is that way that the authoress ages the characters. As they get older, the humor changes, the emotions are more mature, and the general plot of each successive book becomes deeper. While the later books are much darker than the early ones, personally I think that it takes the series to a new level.  According to Stephen King "will indeed stand time's test and wind up on a shelf where only the best are kept; I think Harry will take his place with Alice, Huck, Frodo, and Dorothy and this is one series not just for the decade, but for the ages"(Stephen King). Although the movies based on hte books are great, they are nothing compared to the books. I have heard people agree with my view that Harry Potter is beyond amazing who have only ever seen the movies and I cannot understand how they can base their opinion on films that barely scratch teh surface of the wizarding world. It's a shame, they are all missing out!
Anyway, Harry Potter nerd signing off,
Mischief Managed
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Letting Go is Hard to Do

Letting go is hard to do. For some reason I have a particularly hard time with it. Old friends, old classmates, relatives and friends passing on.....I just can't seem to stop missing them. It's going to be hard at the end of the summer again becuase The Lake is being sold. The Lake is lakeside property (no duh) that has been in my dad's family for nearly 70 years. My grandparents owned it and then sold half to my aunt and her husband and half to my uncle and his wife. When my aunt passed away in 2004, her portion was passed to her husband who never really cared about the lake. He wanted to sell right after she died, but he kept it because he couldn't sell without my uncle's consent.....which he wouldn't give becuase his wife was suffering from cancer and he didn't want her last days to be without the lake. When she died and then my uncle died, the lake passed to their six children, but my uncle told his eldest "when He wants to sell, sell". Now this guy who cared nothing about the lake and really about this family, wants to sell, and indeed has sold the lake. I get that he's protecting his assets because he was still paying taxes even though he never used the place, but still. The loss is like losing both aunts, my uncle, and my grandma all over again. All my childhood years, The Lake has been their...all my memories,,,gone. It's gonna be harder on my dad becuase he's known it longer, but still.....I'm not really sure how we're going to all get through this. Last sunday my dad's side of the family celebrated the Fourth at The Lake just like we always do; as it's been done for generations. (The family meets on Memorial Day, the opening of the season; Fourth of July; and Labor Day, the close of the season). The festivities were understandably subdued, seeing as it was our last Fourth. I've decided to make a scrap book with leaves and pictures from the lake, get a jar of sand from the beach, and collect some rocks just like i did from the cottage in Ireland. Anyway, it's getting late, but I just wanted to get this off my chest.

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