Harry Potter Challenge Day 8

Day 8 is your favorite lesson

I think my favorite lesson would be potions.
Harry isn’t good at potions because he never pays attention, but I’m great at paying attention to what I’m doing, at least when I’m following a recipe. My best friend (fresh off a semester of organic chemistry) once said that she thought she’d hate potions, but I disagree. I don’t think it would be anything like chemistry. The way I see it, it’s following a recipe exactly.
I love baking because there’s no room for improvising. You have to follow the recipe exactly. This is why I think I’d like potions. Plus, it would be interesting to see what types of potions you can create.


What do you think your favorite class would be?

Day 1: What’s your favorite book? Why?
Day 2: What’s your favorite movie? Why?
Day 3: What frustrated you most about the film adaptations?
Day 4: Who is your least favorite female character? Why?
Day 5: Who is your favorite male character? Why?
Day 6: What house are you in?
Day 7: Who is your favorite female character?
Day 8: What do you think would be your favorite lesson?
Day 9: Who is your least favorite male character? Why?
Day 10: Horcruxes or Hallows?
Day 11: What character would you say you are most like?
Day 12: What’s your favorite ship?
Day 13: What’s your least favorite movie?
Day 14: Death Eater or the DA?
Day 15: Who would be your best friend at Hogwarts?
Day 16: Who’s your favorite professor?
Day 17: What’s your least favorite book? Why?
Day 18: Do you prefer the books or films?
Day 19: What is your favorite chapter?
Day 20: What part of the books always makes you cry?
Day 21: If you could bring one character back to life, who would it be?
Day 22: Are there any scenes you wished would have been put in the films?
Day 23: Nineteen years later. Are you happy how the series turned out?
Day 24: What’s your favorite spell?
Day 25: Would you rather own The Invisibility Cloak, The Resurrection Stone or The Elder Wand?
Day 26: Who is your favorite villain character? Why?
Day 27: Who is your favorite Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher?
Day 28: What would your patronus be?
Day 29: What is your favorite line in the books?
Day 30: What effect has Harry Potter had on your life?

Harry Potter Challenge Day 7

Day 7 is favorite female character.

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about Harry Potter. In fact, I could write way more than 30 blog posts on Harry Potter, but I won’t bore you with that! So it may not come as a surprise to you when I say that I have 2 favorite female characters. Nothing is simple when it comes to me and Harry Potter.
Therefore, I have a favorite kid character, and a favorite adult character. Due to their age (Harry was 11 when the books begin), the kids aren’t in-depth characters. They are, in fact, very shallow. That’s fine, because they are still developing into themselves, so understandably they don’t have the same depth that the adults do.

So…my favorite female kid is Hermione.

I think this goes back to the idea of wanting to be in the inner circle of main characters, but I just love Hermione. Considering I named my cat Hermione, this probably isn’t a surprise to many people who know me.
Hermione is mature, and I love that. I love that she mellows out after the first book in regards to rule-breaking. I love that she works so hard because she’s a muggle, and wants to prove herself. She’s everything I’m not, and some things I am…hard working, persistent, loyal, trustworthy and so very smart.
Hermione stood by and waited while Ron muddled his way through an awkward relationship, and when he finally came around, there she was. She patiently taught Ron and Hermione about girls, and, sometimes impatiently, guided them through their classes. She cares deeply for both Harry and Ron, in very different ways, and I love that too.


My favorite adult character is Molly Weasley.
Before I read the final Harry Potter book I was convinced that Molly Weasley was going to die. I had a theory that Harry had to lose everyone close to him so he could stand alone against Voldemort (which is true). I reasoned that he lost a father figure in Sirus, a grandfather figure in Dumbledore, and a mother figure in Mrs. Weasley. Thankfully, I was wrong.
Mrs. Weasley is the most loving (fiction) person I know. Though she mollycoddles Harry, she loves him like another son, and she has plenty! From the moment we meet her she’s concerned for Harry’s welfare, commenting on why he is alone at the Hogwarts Express, and hoping he is alright. There’s just something about Molly Weasley that makes me happy. Though I’m not sure I’d want her to be my mother (she sometimes seems very over-protective, to me), all scenes with her in it make me smile, which says a lot, especially towards the end of the series.


Who are your favorite female characters?

Day 1: Your fave book.

Day 2: Your fave movie.
Day 3: Are there any of the films adaptations that have made you angry because they’ve ignored important parts of the book?
Day 4: Least fave female character and why?
Day 5: Fave male character and why?
Day 6: What house would you want to be in?
Day 7: Favorite female character and why?
Day 8: What do you think would be your favorite lesson?
Day 9: Least favorite male character?
Day 10: Horcruxes or Hallows?
Day 11: What character would you say you are most like?
Day 12: Fave ship?
Day 13: Least fave movie?
Day 14: Team Voldermort or Team Harry?
Day 15: Who would be your best friends at hogwarts? (three only)
Day 16: Fave professor?
Day 17: Are you excited about The Deathly Hallows movie or scared it won’t do the book justice?
Day 18: Least fave book?
Day 19: Do you prefer the books or films?
Day 20: If you had to meet one member of the cast, who would it be?
Day 21: Out of all the characters that died, if you could bring one back, who would it be?
Day 22: Harry Potter or Twilight?
Day 23: Any part of the books/movies that makes you cry?
Day 24: Any particular scene you wished would have been put in the movie but it wasn’t?
Day 25: Nineteen years later. Are you happy how it turned out, or do you wish something was different, ie Neville married Luna?
Day 26: If you could be able to work one spell without a wand what would it be.
Day 27: Would you rather own The Invisibility Cloak, The Resurrection Stone or The Elder Wand?
Day 28: Do you listen to Wizard Wrock, what do you think about it?
Day 29: Did you enjoy A Very Potter Musical.
Day 30: What affect has Harry Potter made on your life and how much does it mean to you?

My skills, they are improving!

Now that I’ve learned to purl, the possibilities of things I can knit are endless! I’m starting small, (though I’d love to make a pair of socks) to practice. My newest discovery? Dishcloths! They are easy and fast, and very fun to make, when they’re done!

My first dishcloth was a TARDIS from Dr. Who! I gave this to my sister. This took me 2 days, mostly because I had to keep starting over in the beginning because I made mistakes. But I did it!

The yarn is “shiny” so it’s difficult to get a good picture.
The pattern I used is here.


What do you think?

Harry Potter Challenge Day 6

Day 6 is what house would you want to be in?

From day one I’ve wanted to be in Gryffindor. This isn’t because I fancy myself as particularly brave, or that I really felt like I fit in there. It’s much simpler than that. I want to be in Gryffindor because that’s Harry Potter’s house. Go ahead and laugh, it’s OK.


I’m one of those people who relates to the main character. Someone who latches on and loves them, for whatever reason. While Harry Potter isn’t my favorite character, I have always felt like we’re friends. (I realize that my true Harry Potter craziness is coming out in this post.) When I first started reading Harry Potter in high school, when only 3 of the books were out, I devoured them, read them in study, and wandered the halls of my high school, pretending that I was at Hogwarts too.

My three best friends were Harry, Ron and Hermione, and I couldn’t wait to read again, just to see where we all left off. I can always tell when I’m reading a good book because I think about it constantly when I’m not reading, and feel like the main characters are my friends too.
Naturally, since Ron, Hermione and Harry are my best friends then I would be in Gryffindor too. So that is why I have Gryffindor robes and a Gryffindor scarf. It’s also why I refuse to take any type of “which house should you be in,” tests, because I’m afraid it will place me somewhere else. Away from my friends.


Which house do you see yourself in?

Day 1: What’s your favorite book? Why?
Day 2: What’s your favorite movie? Why?
Day 3: What frustrated you most about the film adaptations?
Day 4: Who is your least favorite female character? Why?
Day 5: Who is your favorite male character? Why?
Day 6: What house are you in?
Day 7: Who is your favorite female character?
Day 8: What do you think would be your favorite lesson?
Day 9: Who is your least favorite male character? Why?
Day 10: Horcruxes or Hallows?
Day 11: What character would you say you are most like?
Day 12: What’s your favorite ship?
Day 13: What’s your least favorite movie?
Day 14: Death Eater or the DA?
Day 15: Who would be your best friend at Hogwarts?
Day 16: Who’s your favorite professor?
Day 17: What’s your least favorite book? Why?
Day 18: Do you prefer the books or films?
Day 19: What is your favorite chapter?
Day 20: What part of the books always makes you cry?
Day 21: If you could bring one character back to life, who would it be?
Day 22: Are there any scenes you wished would have been put in the films?
Day 23: Nineteen years later. Are you happy how the series turned out?
Day 24: What’s your favorite spell?
Day 25: Would you rather own The Invisibility Cloak, The Resurrection Stone or The Elder Wand?
Day 26: Who is your favorite villain character? Why?
Day 27: Who is your favorite Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher?
Day 28: What would your patronus be?
Day 29: What is your favorite line in the books?
Day 30: What effect has Harry Potter had on your life?

Dream job

Do you ever think about your dream job? What you would love to do if you had all the abilities in the world? I’m not talking about the perfect job in your field. I’m talking about if you could do anything?

If I could do anything in the world, I’d be a standup comedian.

source

I love to laugh, and I love to make other people laugh. Unfortunately, I’m not very good at it! When I was in college I tried to make a standup routine to practice on people. It worked…people laughed…but not quite at my jokes. No, they were laughing at me, and I think there was a bit of pity laugh in there, too.

So, I was forced to put my standup career on the back burner while I pursued a job that would actually make me some money.


What is your dream job?

Memories

What I’ve Done, by Linkin Park makes me cry.

Yeah, yeah, I know. It’s not a sad song, but it holds a lot of memories for me.
I read somewhere that the sense of smell is the strongest memory you have. That may be true, but for me, songs hold memories. Which is funny, because I don’t really like music. Anyway, there are the songs that immediately remind me of high school, or the summer after Geoff and I started dating.
And then there are the songs that remind me of 2007.

In the year 2007 I was happy, truly happy, for about 4 months. One third of that year I was happy. In August I finally went to the doctor and started taking antidepressants. The next few months were wonderful, because I was finally happy. Not depressed. The veil had lifted. Until December, when Geoff’s dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and, well…things just didn’t go well after that.

So in the summer of 2007, Transformers came out, and my big, geek of a boyfriend took me to see it. Ever since then, the song What I’ve Done reminds me of that summer, which reminds me of how unhappy I was. So, I try not to think about it.

Looking back, there is a couple years of my life that I try not to think about, namely the summer of 2007 and most of 2008. Thankfully, 2009 was pretty good, and 2010, our first year of marriage was also good year.
I guess I never realized how much my depression still affects me, even after several years, after it’s under control and, generally speaking, I’m happy. Last week I heard What I’ve Done on the radio, (on a day that, for whatever reason, was already not so great) and I was plummeted into memories that I don’t want to remember.
At Thanksgiving we went to visit family, at Geoff’s old school stomping grounds. I had lived there for a few months after he dad got sick and, ultimately, passed. Driving down those roads, as Geoff reminisced, all I could do was remember. Things I didn’t want to remember.

I guess, sometimes, the past doesn’t always escape us, no matter how well we think we have it under control.

There’s no point to this post, really. No subject I want to touch on, no questions I want to ask at the end. No neat wrap-up. There are just words that I needed to write, because sometimes, I’m still sad.

Harry Potter Challenge Day 5

Day 5 is my favorite male character


For this, I’m stealing a post I wrote for my sister last July, because I can’t put it any better than I did back then.


I have a hard time deciding who my favorite Harry Potter character is, but I think if I were forced to choose, my favorite adult character would be Albus Dumbledore.

Dumbledore represents so much in the world of Harry Potter. To Harry, he is both a grandfather and a mentor, and I think he is the character Harry respects the most. Dumbledore embodies respect, love, gentleness and, above all, calmness in even the scariest of storms. Even when he knew he was dying on top of the astronomy tower (either at the hands of Draco or another death eater or by the potion he had just consumed), he spoke calmly with everyone there.

It never really occurred to me that, once a long, long time ago, Dumbledore was a young man. That is, until I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and we learned about Dumbledore’s past. The man that I always thought was a wonderful hero, actually did some disturbing things, the most notable centering around his relationship with the dark wizard Grindelwald. When Dumbledore was 17, he had a short friendship with Grindelwald which ended abruptly with the mysterious death of Dumbledore’s little sister. Before that, however, we learn that in the two short months that the two were friends, they discussed things so against what Dumbledore would later believe that it almost seems impossible that the ideas could have come from the man we grow to love much later in his life.

So what stopped Dumbledore from following Grindelwald when he left? Why did he just leave him, watch as he slowly slipped deeper and deeper into the dark arts, killing wizards and muggles alike with little care or worry about what he was doing? It took several years before Dumbledore finally found Grindelwald, battled with him, took, as we later learn, the Elder wand and imprisoned him in a prison of Grindelwald’s own design. The fact that Dumbledore discussed and supported Muggle killings with Grindelwald made many prior Dumbledore supporters question their undying loyalty.

However, I believe that Dumbledore always had good in him and that he never intended on following through with the things he and Grindelwald discussed. You see Dumbledore, at his core, is the good and caring man we saw in the first books, but he also has a darker side, a side he kept in check in a way that many of us could not. Dumbledore both loved and craved power. He wanted it more than anything else in the world, and this, I believe, is what drew him to Grindelwald. But something, and we may never know what, kept him in check and he realized that he could never have that power because it would be too dangerous. Perhaps he saw a bit of Grindelwald in himself and was afraid of what he might do. Dumbledore was offered the position of Minister for Magic on several occasions, but always turned it down. I used to wonder why, until I finally understood the whole story. With the Elder wand in hand, and power over the whole Wizarding community in England, he knew he would not be able to control himself. Despite his faults, nothing could make Dumbledore more noble and hero-worthy, than the fact that he turned down power for the sole reason of knowing that he couldn’t handle it properly.

I sometimes forget that Dumbledore wasn’t perfect, rather he is a man with many flaws, both good and bad. He both craves and resists power, knowing he can’t handle it properly. He trusts where many would not. And perhaps my favorite fault of his is that he loves. Dumbledore loves to the point of almost carelessness. He loves Harry so much that he protects him from everything, right up until the end, leaving Harry with virtually no information when he sends him on his final quest. This particular flaw, I believe, makes up for all of Dumbledore’s others. It is what stopped him from seeking the power that he so desired.

What must it be like, to have two, polar opposite desires and feelings? To turn around and completely ignore one, for the sake of the other? Dumbledore loves, trusts and believes, and I think he expected others to do the same. Turning down the power he wanted proves, once again, that love prevails above all things. That, more than anything else, solidifies my love for Albus Dumbledore.


Who is your favorite male character?


Day 1: What’s your favorite book? Why?
Day 2: What’s your favorite movie? Why?
Day 3: What frustrated you most about the film adaptations?
Day 4: Who is your least favorite female character? Why?
Day 5: Who is your favorite male character? Why?
Day 6: What house are you in?
Day 7: Who is your favorite female character?
Day 8: What do you think would be your favorite lesson?
Day 9: Who is your least favorite male character? Why?
Day 10: Horcruxes or Hallows?
Day 11: What character would you say you are most like?
Day 12: What’s your favorite ship?
Day 13: What’s your least favorite movie?
Day 14: Death Eater or the DA?
Day 15: Who would be your best friend at Hogwarts?
Day 16: Who’s your favorite professor?
Day 17: What’s your least favorite book? Why?
Day 18: Do you prefer the books or films?
Day 19: What is your favorite chapter?
Day 20: What part of the books always makes you cry?
Day 21: If you could bring one character back to life, who would it be?
Day 22: Are there any scenes you wished would have been put in the films?
Day 23: Nineteen years later. Are you happy how the series turned out?
Day 24: What’s your favorite spell?
Day 25: Would you rather own The Invisibility Cloak, The Resurrection Stone or The Elder Wand?
Day 26: Who is your favorite villain character? Why?
Day 27: Who is your favorite Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher?
Day 28: What would your patronus be?
Day 29: What is your favorite line in the books?
Day 30: What effect has Harry Potter had on your life?

Why I will enroll my (future) boys in Boy Scouts

I recently learned, unfortunately, that the Boy Scouts do not allow gay, atheist or agnostic men to be in positions of leadership. I find this too bad, and very archaic of them.
It should be noted, that the reasoning behind this is that “a scout is reverent”. While that explains the atheism and agnosticism, it does not excuse the gay stance, in my mind.

However.
I am still going to enroll any future boys I have in Boy Scouts, despite my disagreement on this stance they take.
{I am also going to enroll any future girls I have in Girl Scouts, but that’s not what we are talking about today.}

My reasoning is simple. Scouts has been an integral part in both Geoff and my childhoods. I joined Girl Scouts in the first grade, and Geoff joined Boy Scouts when he was 14. Both of us went as “high” as you can go in the ranks, and I received my Gold Award, and Geoff became an Eagle Scout. Scouting helped both Geoff and I developed and fostered important relationships with our father and mother, respectively.

What I want for my kids, is for them to learn the importance of nature, to learn to go camping, and to happily spend a week or two away from us, at camp. I want them to develop the self-confidence that scouting developed in us. Most importantly, I want them to learn to value the camaraderie that only a troop of all boys (or girls) can have.

So, despite a few rules that I disagree with, I believe that the Boy Scouts will offer more good than bad to my (future) boys. If the question or an issue with a gay man comes up, I will teach them what we believe, in our own home, where I believe they should be learning those sorts of things anyway. Meanwhile, they will (hopefully) enjoy their years of scouting, and I see many years of father/son bonding in their future. (Through an avenue that I feel more comfortable using than hunting together, for example. Mostly because I’m from the city, and people don’t hunt there).


What do you think? Were you a Girl/Boy Scout? Will you (or have you) choose to enroll your children in scouting?


Please note that I’m not trying to rile anyone up, and I’m hoping that if you do choose to comment, that you will do so politely.

Calling all knitters!!

Do you knit? I need you!

I have a personal vendetta against pancreatic cancer.
I’m collecting purple scarves to sell for Pancreatic cancer awareness. ALL money (not just profits) will be donated to pancan.org.

Here are some facts about pancreatic cancer:

• The pancreas is used to produce insulin. Due to the fact that it doesn’t have any nerves, pancreatic cancer often isn’t diagnosed or even noticed until it has spread.
• There are very few treatments for pancreatic cancer.
• Only 2% of the American Cancer Society’s research budget goes toward pancreatic cancer.
• Pancreatic cancer is the 4th leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States.
• The average life expectancy after diagnosis is 3-6 months.
• There are no early detection tools for pancreatic cancer.

I know what you’re thinking. Everyone has a cause, and mine happens to be pancreatic cancer. Yours may be diabetes, heart disease, breast cancer, ALS or any number of horrible diseases that have touched your life. You can’t help all of them.

My request is simple. Make me a scarf. The scarves will be sold for $15 (I’m looking into how to sell them, but I’m going to start on my Etsy shop) and all that money will go toward pancreatic cancer awareness. Do you knit or crochet? Please consider making me just one scarf. I can’t do it all…I need your help.
{I am requesting purple scarves, since that is the color of pancreatic cancer awareness. All shades, patterns and types of purple scarves will be accepted!}

Don’t knit or crochet? That’s OK. Would you consider buying a scarf? I’m planning on setting up a paypal for this alone, separate from my personal one.
Cancer has touched almost everyone. Please consider donating or helping me out, no matter what your personal cause is.

If you’re interested in making or buying a scarf (I’m hoping to have WAY more options that my one, soon!) please email me at crazymegg at gmail.

Harry Potter Challenge Day 4

Day 4: My least favorite female character

Bellatrix Lestrange is my least favorite female character. I never thought much about her until she made an appearance in the movies and became a bigger character in the books. There’s just something about her that I don’t like. I find her annoying and irritating, and, to be perfectly honest, without a lot of depth. She may have a fascinating back story, but we don’t know it, so her character really isn’t one I’m invested in. So, character-wise, Bellatrix Lestrange is my least favorite female character.


She’s not the only one I hate. I also hate Delores Umbridge. There’s a difference, however. I love to hate Umbridge. She is such a well written character who gets under your skin in a way that you just…have to appreciate her.
Umbridge has the depth that Bellatrix lacks. She isn’t evil, but she’s a complete suck-up to the minister of magic and will do anything for him. Concerned that Dumbledore is forming an army against the ministry, Umbridge censors and controls everything she can. I love the way she infiltrates the school and my mind, making me hate every mention of her. She is so well written, that I just love to hate her.


Who is your least favorite character? Do you have a character you love to hate?

Day 1: What’s your favorite book? Why?
Day 2: What’s your favorite movie? Why?
Day 3: What frustrated you most about the film adaptations?
Day 4: Who is your least favorite female character? Why?
Day 5: Who is your favorite male character? Why?
Day 6: What house are you in?
Day 7: Who is your favorite female character?
Day 8: What do you think would be your favorite lesson?
Day 9: Who is your least favorite male character? Why?
Day 10: Horcruxes or Hallows?
Day 11: What character would you say you are most like?
Day 12: What’s your favorite ship?
Day 13: What’s your least favorite movie?
Day 14: Death Eater or the DA?
Day 15: Who would be your best friend at Hogwarts?
Day 16: Who’s your favorite professor?
Day 17: What’s your least favorite book? Why?
Day 18: Do you prefer the books or films?
Day 19: What is your favorite chapter?
Day 20: What part of the books always makes you cry?
Day 21: If you could bring one character back to life, who would it be?
Day 22: Are there any scenes you wished would have been put in the films?
Day 23: Nineteen years later. Are you happy how the series turned out?
Day 24: What’s your favorite spell?
Day 25: Would you rather own The Invisibility Cloak, The Resurrection Stone or The Elder Wand?
Day 26: Who is your favorite villain character? Why?
Day 27: Who is your favorite Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher?
Day 28: What would your patronus be?
Day 29: What is your favorite line in the books?
Day 30: What effect has Harry Potter had on your life?