In case you somehow missed it, Sean and I are completely obsessing over Harry Potter right now. After visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, we couldn't help ourselves. I'm listening to the whole series on audio book and immersing myself in literary criticism of Harry, and Sean is rereading the series.
All this has got me thinking of some of my favorite Harry Potter related memories. Here are two of my favorites:
I read Harry Potter for the first time during the summer of 2008, which I spent in Florida. That summer Cathryn was also learning how to drive. Since I'm six years older than her, I was legally able to take her out driving. So one day, Cayla, Cathryn, and I were coming home from somewhere--with Cathryn driving--and we happened to be talking about J.K. Rowling. I was telling them how beautiful the author was, but the girls were in disbelief. They were both saying how they imagined her looking like the crazy cashier lady at our neighborhood Walgreens who is older, stout, with frizzy gray hair that always has an absurd hat (usually decorated with a big spider) perched on top of it. We were laughing so hard over this image as we pulled into our driveway that Cathryn lost track of what she was doing, and drove the van right into the house. Literally, she hit the house. I know I should've felt bad as the responsible adult who was supposed to be monitoring her, but it was one of the funniest moments of my life.
Another great Harry Potter memory is a lot simpler, but nonetheless meaningful. The day after our wedding, Sean and I were relaxing in our room at the Tiburon lodge, recovering from the craziness of the weekend. And we had one of the best evenings in the world: we rented Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire from the lobby's movie collection and ordered room service for a cheeseburger and a double serving of garlic fries. It was so simple and yet, was undoubtedly one of the best spent evenings of my life. And that's one of the reasons I love being married to Sean--I always have my best buddy around to enjoy all the little things of life with.
Showing posts with label Harry Potter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harry Potter. Show all posts
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
A Year In Books
My 2010 Reading List:
January 2010
The World Is Flat – Thomas Friedman
*Baby Catcher – Peggy Vincent
People of the Book – Geraldine Brooks
The Year of Magical Thinking – Joan Didion
The Republic of East L.A. – Luis Rodriguez
**Walk Two Moons – Sharon Creech (Audio Book, with Sean)
February 2010
****My Story As Told By Water – David James Duncan
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – J. K. Rowling (Audio Book)
A Wrinkle in Time – Madeleine L’Engle
*The Noonday Demon – Andrew Solomon
Spiritual Midwifery – Ina May Gaskin (First half of book: Birth Stories, 218 pages)
A Circle of Quiet – Madeleine L’Engle; 246 pages
A Wind in the Door – Madeleine L’Engle; 240 pages
March 2010
The Summer of the Great Grandmother – Madeleine L’Engle; 246 pages
Giving Birth – Catherine Taylor; 300 pages
A Swiftly Tilting Planet – Madeleine L’Engle; 256 pages
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – J. K. Rowling (Audio Book)
The Midwife – Jennifer Worth; 319 pages
Lady’s Hands, Lion’s Heart – Carol Leonard; 354 pages
Many Waters – Madeleine L’Engle; 310 pages
A Perfect Mess – Eric Abrahamson & David Freedman (Audio Book)
The Irrational Season – Madeleine L’Engle; 215 pages
April 2010
Committed – Elizabeth Gilbert; 285 pages
Things I’ve Been Silent About – Azar Nafisi; 314 pages
Till We Have Faces – C.S. Lewis; 309 pages
Castle Corona – Sharon Creech; Audio Book
Two Part Invention – Madeleine L’Engle; 232 pages
Beautiful Stories of Life – Cynthia Rylant; Audio Book
The Metamorphoses: Books 1 & 2 – Ovid; 50 pages
Shards of Honor – Lois McMaster Bujold; 313 pages
***The Whale Rider – Witi Ihimaera; Audio Book
Barrayar – Lois McMaster Bujold; 386 pages
An Acceptable Time – Madeleine L’Engle; 367 pages
May 2010
The Fabric of This World – Lee Hardy; 185 pages
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – J.K. Rowling; Audio Book
The Warrior’s Apprentice – Lois McMaster Bujold; 315 pages
Acedia & me – Kathleen Norris; 329 pages
Anne of Green Gables – Lucy Maud Montgomery; Audio Book
June 2010
I GOT MARRIED!!!!!
July 2010
Fellowship of the Ring – J. R. R. Tolkien; Audio Book
Tinkers – Paul Harding
The Outsiders – S. E. Hinton
*The Count of Monte Cristo – Alexander Dumas; Audio Book
The Cloister Walk – Kathleen Norris
August 2010
Anne of Avonlea – Lucy Maud Montgomery; Audio Book
*****The Brothers K – David James Duncan; 645 pages
Anne of the Island – Lucy Maud Montgomery; Audio Book
The Two Towers – J. R. R. Tolkien; Audio Book
Dakota – Kathleen Norris; 220 pages
The Maytrees – Annie Dillard; 216 pages
Travels with Charley – John Steinbeck; Audio Book
*A Mother’s Rule – Holly Pierlot; 200 pages
September 2010
Housekeeping – Marilynne Robinson; Audio Book
The Quotidian Mysteries – Kathleen Norris; 88 pages
Life of Antony & Letter to Marcinellus – Athanasius; 129 pages
The Rule of St. Benedict – St. Benedict; 70 pages
A Thousand Acres – Jane Smiley; Audio Book; 13 discs
Around the World in 80 Days – Jules Verne; Audio Book; 7 discs
October 2010
Church History in Plain Language – Bruce L. Shelley; 495 pages
Funny in Farsi – Firoozeh Dumas; 198 pages
The Nanny Diaries – Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus; 306 pages
Invisible Cities – Italo Calvino; 165 pages
Unmasking L.A. – edited by Deepak Narang Sawhney; 260 pages
You’ll Never Nanny in this Town Again – Suzanne Hansen; 286 pages
And Nanny Makes Three – Jessika Auerbach; 272 pages
Nicholas Nickleby – Charles Dickens; 25 discs
November 2010
The Perfect Stranger – Lucy Kaylin; 228 pages
Flipped – Wendelin Van Draanen; 6 discs
*Searching for Mary Poppins – edited by Susan Davis and Gina Hyams; 275 pages
Just Like Family – Tasha Blaine; 319 pages
Global Woman – Edited by: Babara Ehrenreich and Arlie Hochschild; 284 pages
December 2010
White House Nannies – Barbara Kline; 234 pages
The Year of Living Biblically – A. J. Jacobs; 332 pages
Where I Was From – Joan Didion; 226 pages
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince – J. K. Rowling; 17 discs
*******Crunchy Cons – Rod Dreher; 250 pages
Total: 74 Books
It's been a wonderful year for reading books! I started out the year devouring midwifery literature and ended the year pouring over nanny-literature. In between, and all throughout, I revisited books that are old friends ( the Anne of Green Gables series), read my favorites over and over again (Harry Potter), made wonderful memories (I'll never forget sitting in the sands of Waimea Bay at sunset and watching Sean body surf in the cresting waves while I read Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking or driving through the green mountains of Oregon on our honeymoon listening to Fellowship of the Ring), and discovered delightful new authors like Kathleen Norris (thought-provoking), A.J. Jacobs (hilarious), and Rod Dreher (life-changing). I finally read an extensive portion of Madeleine L'Engle's work (but by no means all of it) and explored topics such as depression and Church History more thoroughly than I ever have before. And there was no lacking in adventure: I journeyed through outer space with Miles Vorkosigan and swam with whales in the wild waters off the shores of New Zealand. I battled Voldemorte alongside Harry, Ron, and Hermione, exacted a breathtaking revenge with Edmond Dantes, and traveled around the world (in 80 days!) with Phileas Fogg. I delivered babies with Berkeley's best midwife, trekked to Mount Doom with Frodo and Sam, and roamed the streets of East L.A. with Luis Rodriguez. The worst book I read this year was A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley. Do yourself a favor and never read it. Do yourself a favor and read Crunchy Conservatives by Rod Dreher, which wins for being by far the most life-changing book I read this year. I familiarized myself with some classics--including The Count of Monte Cristo and Nicholas Nickleby (both of which are brilliant and amazing books!). The best book I read this year was--hands down--The Brothers K by David James Duncan. This was my second time reading it, and I loved it even more--if possible--than the first time I read it. This is probably the most rich and heart-warming/breaking, loving and funny story of a family that anyone will ever read. I also reread Annie Dillard's The Maytrees, which--after visiting Megan in Massachusetts this Spring, took on new meaning and beauty for me. To read books is to associate with the Great: St. Benedict, John Steinbeck, and C.S. Lewis--to name a few. The adventure of reading books is second only to the greater adventure of living life, and I hope--by God's grace--to do much more of both in 2011.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Do you believe in magic?
I do!
After a visit to the world famous Magic Castle, a prestigious magic club located in downtown Hollywood, I am convinced. The Club is so exclusive that you can only get in if you're a member, or the guest of a member. Thankfully, Karissa's brother Jonathan is a Junior Member and last week was Future Stars Week at the Castle, so Johnny took Karissa, Sean, and I along for the night!
The Magic Castle is a huge old mansion built in the early 1900's and turned into a Magic Club in the 1960's. You walk into the front hall, get approved to enter, and then turn to the bookcase on the left wall and say, "Open Sesame," and the bookshelf opens before your eyes and you enter into the one of the most twisting, turning, confusing mansions imaginable.
We walked up and down staircases, through dimly lit hallways and past shadowy rooms and secluded alcoves. We got in line for the first Parlor Show of the evening, at which Karissa was called onto the stage to assist the magician in one of his tricks.
The moment that really changed my life was when we were all crowded in to a tiny little room down in the lower level of the mansion to see Magic Mike--a 23 year old magician who was one of the funniest people ever. Anyway, I was selected to assist him in a trick, which was very thrilling! The trick went like this: he flipped through the deck and had a random person in the audience tell him where to stop. Then, right where he stopped, he split the deck in two and handed me one of the piles, and told me to count the cards in front of everyone. I held the cards up high and counted 14 cards. Then he told me to put the cards someplace no one could get to them--so I sat on them. Then he had another girl in the audience choose a card out of the deck, and she picked a three of hearts. So he said that he would magically add three cards to the pile I was sitting on. He did all kinds of magical movements, and then told me to take the cards out and count them again. When I did, much to my utter amazement, I found SEVENTEEN CARDS IN THE PILE!!!!!!!!
How did he do it?????????
Jonathan's show was amazing! And I'm so glad we decided to stay for the stage show att 11:15 because it was mind-blowing and most of all FUNNY. I laughed so hard I had to cover up my face and put my head down because this one kid named Kyle had written his own routine and it was the funniest thing I have ever heard. "The nostalgia is overwhelming!!!"
The best part of it all is that we went to the Magic Castle on July 31st: HARRY POTTER'S BIRTHDAY! I mean, how fitting is that? We arrived home wearily at 2 a.m. after a very magical evening.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
3 things:
A lot has happened since I last wrote, too much to write about in just one post. So for now, I will just catch you up on a few major things:
1. I love being married.
Last October, just after we had gotten engaged, Chris Oliver asked me what I was looking forward to the most about being married to Sean, and I promptly responded, "It will be an adventure! There is never a dull moment with Sean," (or something to that effect...) To illustrate this point, I will briefly describe one scenario: Last Thursday night, Sean and I had a few friends over (Lauren, Greg, Jason, Dan, Adria) and we cooked a big spaghetti dinner on a tiny little hot plate (our stove wasn't hooked up yet) and ate outside in the cool evening air, but this story isn't about the dinner really, but about the dishes produced by that dinner. Immediately after our meal, we went to the movies to see Incepcion, and, since I had work the next day, I asked Sean to do the dishes while I was gone. Well, that didn't happen, but it was understandable because on Friday we got our internet installed, our stove hooked up, and our new bed frame set up. So when I had to work Saturday night, I asked Sean to just do the dishes then. I returned home right around 1:00 in the morning, and found my new husband wearing only a bathing suit and a pair of rubber gloves, washing dishes IN THE SHOWER. When I confronted him about the oddity of this situation, the truth came out: Sean hates doing dishes. I said that I wish he would've told me this earlier, because I LIKE doing dishes and was only asking him to do them since I wasn't around. Sean said, "I could do the dishes if I had a sink with two sides, a garbage disposal, and a hose." We do not have any of those things, and so I'm now the official dish-washer in our family, which is fine with me. On Sunday, I washed the three and a half days old dirty dishes (in the sink, not the shower), while Sean did a chore that I happen to hate: grocery shopping. Divvying up chores like this is wonderful! And all is well that ends well...My shower ended up streaked with grease and tomato sauce and the drain clogged with bits of salad and avocado, but even that cleaned up pretty well with a little 409.
2. I love my job.
For me to be able to say I love a job that wakes me up at 5:40 a.m. three mornings a week is a big deal, but it is the truth. I'm sure I'll be writing a lot about my job in the days to come, so for now I'll just describe another scene--in an attempt to show why I love my job so much. On Wednesday I picked up Giuliana from her Little Click Club (where she's learning to use a computer) and we walked over to the park to eat the picnic lunch I packed for us. It was a crisp, sunny California day...the kind of beautiful day that makes everyone want to live in California forever, because sun and wind and sky and ocean combine together in a glorious perfection. Well, I sat on the ground with Giuwels in my lap, peeling Clementines, and the two of us sharing the juicy orange pieces one by one. The warm sun was shining down on us in perfect contrast to the cool air, and I was filled with a deep contentment. Giuwels said, with her head leaning against my chest, "I like you." I said, "I like you too." And she added, "I love when we do this...let's do this every day!"
3. I love my new house.
Perhaps house isn't the most appropriate term for what is in fact a tiny studio apartment, but it stands alone behind our landlady's house, and because we live in a guest house rather than an apartment complex, I insist on calling this our house. Tonight is a good night to write about our new home, because I am completely at peace with it. For the past three weeks we've had boxes everywhere, and today I woke up and said, "No more. I will not go to sleep with boxes in my house tonight." While Sean helped Jason move, I unpacked the last few boxes and put the finishing touches on everything...Now I am sitting here feeling satisfied beyond belief. We somehow managed to fit in everything we wanted: our king size bed, 4 bookshelves, a table, four chairs, a desk, a love seat, and a stove! We live in a tiny room nestled under a great avocado tree. Our sliding glass doors open onto a small balcony and an orange tree. We wake up in the night to avocados falling on our roof, we reach for each others' hand and go back to sleep. Our Harry Potter books are sitting on our desk between two wooden lion bookends that were carved in Africa. During the day, Timmy and Garfield preside over our bed. Our house is overflowing with books. We have way more books than we have square feet to live in, and that's the way we like it. Our portrait done by the street artist in Waikiki is hanging on the wall, as well as prints by Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and Monet. The picture of Jesus that has hung over my bed since I was a toddler is also hanging on our wall, as well as Sean's crucifix from his first Communion. It is our home, and we love it, and I want everyone to come visit even though there's nowhere for them to stay! We'll make room!
1. I love being married.
Last October, just after we had gotten engaged, Chris Oliver asked me what I was looking forward to the most about being married to Sean, and I promptly responded, "It will be an adventure! There is never a dull moment with Sean," (or something to that effect...) To illustrate this point, I will briefly describe one scenario: Last Thursday night, Sean and I had a few friends over (Lauren, Greg, Jason, Dan, Adria) and we cooked a big spaghetti dinner on a tiny little hot plate (our stove wasn't hooked up yet) and ate outside in the cool evening air, but this story isn't about the dinner really, but about the dishes produced by that dinner. Immediately after our meal, we went to the movies to see Incepcion, and, since I had work the next day, I asked Sean to do the dishes while I was gone. Well, that didn't happen, but it was understandable because on Friday we got our internet installed, our stove hooked up, and our new bed frame set up. So when I had to work Saturday night, I asked Sean to just do the dishes then. I returned home right around 1:00 in the morning, and found my new husband wearing only a bathing suit and a pair of rubber gloves, washing dishes IN THE SHOWER. When I confronted him about the oddity of this situation, the truth came out: Sean hates doing dishes. I said that I wish he would've told me this earlier, because I LIKE doing dishes and was only asking him to do them since I wasn't around. Sean said, "I could do the dishes if I had a sink with two sides, a garbage disposal, and a hose." We do not have any of those things, and so I'm now the official dish-washer in our family, which is fine with me. On Sunday, I washed the three and a half days old dirty dishes (in the sink, not the shower), while Sean did a chore that I happen to hate: grocery shopping. Divvying up chores like this is wonderful! And all is well that ends well...My shower ended up streaked with grease and tomato sauce and the drain clogged with bits of salad and avocado, but even that cleaned up pretty well with a little 409.
2. I love my job.
For me to be able to say I love a job that wakes me up at 5:40 a.m. three mornings a week is a big deal, but it is the truth. I'm sure I'll be writing a lot about my job in the days to come, so for now I'll just describe another scene--in an attempt to show why I love my job so much. On Wednesday I picked up Giuliana from her Little Click Club (where she's learning to use a computer) and we walked over to the park to eat the picnic lunch I packed for us. It was a crisp, sunny California day...the kind of beautiful day that makes everyone want to live in California forever, because sun and wind and sky and ocean combine together in a glorious perfection. Well, I sat on the ground with Giuwels in my lap, peeling Clementines, and the two of us sharing the juicy orange pieces one by one. The warm sun was shining down on us in perfect contrast to the cool air, and I was filled with a deep contentment. Giuwels said, with her head leaning against my chest, "I like you." I said, "I like you too." And she added, "I love when we do this...let's do this every day!"
3. I love my new house.
Perhaps house isn't the most appropriate term for what is in fact a tiny studio apartment, but it stands alone behind our landlady's house, and because we live in a guest house rather than an apartment complex, I insist on calling this our house. Tonight is a good night to write about our new home, because I am completely at peace with it. For the past three weeks we've had boxes everywhere, and today I woke up and said, "No more. I will not go to sleep with boxes in my house tonight." While Sean helped Jason move, I unpacked the last few boxes and put the finishing touches on everything...Now I am sitting here feeling satisfied beyond belief. We somehow managed to fit in everything we wanted: our king size bed, 4 bookshelves, a table, four chairs, a desk, a love seat, and a stove! We live in a tiny room nestled under a great avocado tree. Our sliding glass doors open onto a small balcony and an orange tree. We wake up in the night to avocados falling on our roof, we reach for each others' hand and go back to sleep. Our Harry Potter books are sitting on our desk between two wooden lion bookends that were carved in Africa. During the day, Timmy and Garfield preside over our bed. Our house is overflowing with books. We have way more books than we have square feet to live in, and that's the way we like it. Our portrait done by the street artist in Waikiki is hanging on the wall, as well as prints by Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and Monet. The picture of Jesus that has hung over my bed since I was a toddler is also hanging on our wall, as well as Sean's crucifix from his first Communion. It is our home, and we love it, and I want everyone to come visit even though there's nowhere for them to stay! We'll make room!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
BUSINESS!!!!
It has been absolutely the craziest week ever.
Last Saturday, Sean and I both graduated from Biola University!
Then we went to Roscoe's to celebrate!
Then we stayed up until at least 3:00 a.m. moving Sean out of his apartment.
Then we went to church and stayed for the potluck lunch, where they had a big chocolate cake to celebrate us and Father David gave us a blessing for our upcoming marriage.
We spent Monday hiking in Pasadena's Eaton Canyon, and had one of the best days ever...trails, running stream, amazing waterfall, warm sunshine, great conversation...
Monday evening we came back to La Mirada, and made a delicious spaghetti dinner with Jason, and enjoyed drinking red wine and playing Boggle.
On Tuesday Sean went with me to a job interview in Manhattan Beach, which went quite well!
Then we babysat Claire and Nicholas for the afternoon, and had fun taking them to the park.
Next we drove down to Irvine, and Sean hung out at a Starbucks while I babysat for the Kims for the last time.
Wednesday was filled with more babysitting...including my last time babysitting for the Lee's.
On Thursday morning, I got in a very, very, very minor, but no less upsetting, car accident, which made me late to my last day of work with Claire and Nicholas.
I picked up my wedding dress on Thursday!
Sean and I bought a super awesome bed for an even more amazing price!
And I stayed with the 3 Moothart boys overnight while Emily and Gabe went away to celebrate their anniversary.
Friday was spent with the Moothart boys. Sean and I bought them Happy Meals and took them to La Mirada Park where we fed the ducks and played Lava Monster.
Friday night we ordered pizza with Sean's friends, and drank homemade beer (which tasted terrible, therefore I consumed almost none of it) and talked about how awesome Harry Potter is until late in the night.
Today (Saturday) I had a second job interview in Manhattan Beach, which I am waiting to hear back about. We looked at a potential apartment and furniture...put our engagement photos up online...and tried to take a deep breath before another crazy week begins tomorrow.
I can't wait for a rest. On June 27th.
Last Saturday, Sean and I both graduated from Biola University!
Then we went to Roscoe's to celebrate!
Then we stayed up until at least 3:00 a.m. moving Sean out of his apartment.
Then we went to church and stayed for the potluck lunch, where they had a big chocolate cake to celebrate us and Father David gave us a blessing for our upcoming marriage.
We spent Monday hiking in Pasadena's Eaton Canyon, and had one of the best days ever...trails, running stream, amazing waterfall, warm sunshine, great conversation...
Monday evening we came back to La Mirada, and made a delicious spaghetti dinner with Jason, and enjoyed drinking red wine and playing Boggle.
On Tuesday Sean went with me to a job interview in Manhattan Beach, which went quite well!
Then we babysat Claire and Nicholas for the afternoon, and had fun taking them to the park.
Next we drove down to Irvine, and Sean hung out at a Starbucks while I babysat for the Kims for the last time.
Wednesday was filled with more babysitting...including my last time babysitting for the Lee's.
On Thursday morning, I got in a very, very, very minor, but no less upsetting, car accident, which made me late to my last day of work with Claire and Nicholas.
I picked up my wedding dress on Thursday!
Sean and I bought a super awesome bed for an even more amazing price!
And I stayed with the 3 Moothart boys overnight while Emily and Gabe went away to celebrate their anniversary.
Friday was spent with the Moothart boys. Sean and I bought them Happy Meals and took them to La Mirada Park where we fed the ducks and played Lava Monster.
Friday night we ordered pizza with Sean's friends, and drank homemade beer (which tasted terrible, therefore I consumed almost none of it) and talked about how awesome Harry Potter is until late in the night.
Today (Saturday) I had a second job interview in Manhattan Beach, which I am waiting to hear back about. We looked at a potential apartment and furniture...put our engagement photos up online...and tried to take a deep breath before another crazy week begins tomorrow.
I can't wait for a rest. On June 27th.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
If the West falls, I'm your man!
There are some things that pretty much never fail me:
1. The Psalms (and Scripture in general)
2. A good meal
3. A conversation with my mom
4. A great book
These are (or should be) my go to's when I find myself in the Slough of Despond.
As I struggle in the midst of wedding planning, finishing a hellish online Spanish class in order to graduate, work, job hunting, coping with being off an anti-depressant, the pressures of moving, and a million other imaginable and unimaginable stresses (like the emotional strain of possibly moving away from a place and people that I've loved for up to five years), I find words like, "In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust...Be thou my strong rock...For thy name's sake lead me, and guide me..." to be the firm ground upon which I can place my feet, and stake my life.
Great books--especially old, often read and dearly loved books, are joys in the midst of changing times, that's for sure. I left La Mirada library on Tuesday morning, practically giddy with delight over my newly checked-out treasures: Anne of Green Gables, The Fellowship of the Ring, and The Count of Monte Cristo on audiobook. I felt sure that if they knew how happy I was, they would never let me take my bounty for free. I suppose the public library system proves that happiness can be without a cost (unless you're a tax payer).
Listening to Anne of Green Gables makes me completely not mind--dare I say--even enjoy being stuck in bad traffic on the 5 for way too long. I am too busy laughing over Anne's antics and predicaments, and quoting Marilla's best lines, and enjoying the comfortable familiarity of a childhood book to care that I'm crawling along the asphalt at five miles an hour along with every other Southern Californian.
Last night Sean took me to Ruby's for our TWO YEAR anniversary. On the way back, I was telling him about my latest audiobook adventures, and he asked me, "Do you ever worry that one day you might live in a totalitarian regime in which the freedom to read whatever you want is not allowed?" My answer: EVERY DAY. Which is why I've been working on my "Books to Save In Case A Totalitarian Regime Takes Over" List for a long time:
1. The Bible
2. The Complete Works of Shakespeare
3. The Brothers Karamazov
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
I'm convinced that these are the books which would bolster my courage in the face of pure evil, and keep me constantly reminded that Goodness, Truth, and Beauty still exist in this world. These are the literary masterpieces that would uphold my soul in the hour of darkness.
(On a side note: I believe that this is also why I attempt to--and sometimes succeed at--memorizing prodigious amounts of Scripture. Surely I am spurred on by a desire to know God and be transformed by His Word, but I also harbor a very melodramatic and inspiring vision of the West falling, and when we all meet together underground to piece our lives and literatures back together, I can supply Colossians and 1 John for the welfare and benefit of my fellow man! [Obviously on an even greater side note, I have read Fahrenheit 451 far too many times.])
All that to say, Sean and I have decided that when we have our own place, we will specifically arrange a collections of books that we will easily be able to grab in case the government suddenly falls and the Marxists--or, God forbid--the KJV-only fundamentalists take over and drive us God-fearing, literature-loving, Harry Potter and Walt Disney fans underground.
1. The Psalms (and Scripture in general)
2. A good meal
3. A conversation with my mom
4. A great book
These are (or should be) my go to's when I find myself in the Slough of Despond.
As I struggle in the midst of wedding planning, finishing a hellish online Spanish class in order to graduate, work, job hunting, coping with being off an anti-depressant, the pressures of moving, and a million other imaginable and unimaginable stresses (like the emotional strain of possibly moving away from a place and people that I've loved for up to five years), I find words like, "In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust...Be thou my strong rock...For thy name's sake lead me, and guide me..." to be the firm ground upon which I can place my feet, and stake my life.
Great books--especially old, often read and dearly loved books, are joys in the midst of changing times, that's for sure. I left La Mirada library on Tuesday morning, practically giddy with delight over my newly checked-out treasures: Anne of Green Gables, The Fellowship of the Ring, and The Count of Monte Cristo on audiobook. I felt sure that if they knew how happy I was, they would never let me take my bounty for free. I suppose the public library system proves that happiness can be without a cost (unless you're a tax payer).
Listening to Anne of Green Gables makes me completely not mind--dare I say--even enjoy being stuck in bad traffic on the 5 for way too long. I am too busy laughing over Anne's antics and predicaments, and quoting Marilla's best lines, and enjoying the comfortable familiarity of a childhood book to care that I'm crawling along the asphalt at five miles an hour along with every other Southern Californian.
Last night Sean took me to Ruby's for our TWO YEAR anniversary. On the way back, I was telling him about my latest audiobook adventures, and he asked me, "Do you ever worry that one day you might live in a totalitarian regime in which the freedom to read whatever you want is not allowed?" My answer: EVERY DAY. Which is why I've been working on my "Books to Save In Case A Totalitarian Regime Takes Over" List for a long time:
1. The Bible
2. The Complete Works of Shakespeare
3. The Brothers Karamazov
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
I'm convinced that these are the books which would bolster my courage in the face of pure evil, and keep me constantly reminded that Goodness, Truth, and Beauty still exist in this world. These are the literary masterpieces that would uphold my soul in the hour of darkness.
(On a side note: I believe that this is also why I attempt to--and sometimes succeed at--memorizing prodigious amounts of Scripture. Surely I am spurred on by a desire to know God and be transformed by His Word, but I also harbor a very melodramatic and inspiring vision of the West falling, and when we all meet together underground to piece our lives and literatures back together, I can supply Colossians and 1 John for the welfare and benefit of my fellow man! [Obviously on an even greater side note, I have read Fahrenheit 451 far too many times.])
All that to say, Sean and I have decided that when we have our own place, we will specifically arrange a collections of books that we will easily be able to grab in case the government suddenly falls and the Marxists--or, God forbid--the KJV-only fundamentalists take over and drive us God-fearing, literature-loving, Harry Potter and Walt Disney fans underground.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Ketchup:
I just finished unpacking from my trip to Boston, which was over two weeks ago. I only decided to unpack now because I need my suitcase to go to Florida on Wednesday night. Otherwise, I'd probably let it all go right on sitting there. Sean says I need a "rock bottom" for habits like this. A "rock bottom" is a wrestling move that Sean basically thinks will solve any problem in the world. I have yet to be impressed. My roommate, Amy Beth, is starting to pack up all her stuff to take back to Seattle this summer. Allan walked through our room the other day and said, "Oh Carolyn, are you packing too?" My response? No, I just live like this.
So, I'm really, really excited about going to Florida. I am going to have a bridal shower! Ever since I was about 9 or 10 years old, and went to both Lisa's and Theresa's bridal showers in the same year, I have wanted a bridal shower more than almost anything. A bridal shower and a rehearsal dinner. These events always struck me as far more important and glamorous than the wedding itself. Some girls dream about their weddings growing up, I dreamed about my rehearsal dinner. This is probably why I bought my rehearsal dinner dress before even securing a wedding dress.
Today made me so very happy because after a week of oppressively cold weather, it was sunny and relatively warm, and I wore my soon to be sister-in-law's red track shorts from middle school, and felt quite exuberant and sunny. After premarital counseling with our dear Father David, we drove home via State College, and stopped at the beautiful park situated quite nicely at the intersection of State College and Bastanchury. We parked the car, and stood for awhile in the warm sunlight, watching the green hills, and the hazy, still-snow-covered mountains in the distance. Life is so beautiful, and I was seized with an unshakable desire to go hiking. I made Sean promise that we will go hiking a lot when we get married, because hopefully then I will have a job with somewhat regular hours and will not have to work on the weekends.
Speaking of jobs, I will take a brief moment to mention my frustrations with my current job searching status: It is, for the most part, halted. I realized that I can't apply for a job in April and then say that I can't start working until July. So I'm still keeping my eye out there for opportunities, but I really do think that I'll have to wait awhile longer before I can really start applying for jobs--which is just as well, I suppose, considering how much work it's taking me to plan this wedding.
Yesterday, we celebrated St. George's Day, at St. George's, no less, which is the name given to the back apartment of Took Hall, where Peter Gross and Lewis Reynolds currently reside. The party was nothing short of splendid: we drank tea, and ate treacle toffee and all other sorts of specifically British delicacies, played the Great Dalmudi (of which I had a brief, but "M-A-L-evilent" reign, as Sean dubbed it [which is a lie, because I was an absolutely delightful ruler]), read aloud the story of St. George slaying the dragon, made merry, and said many times, "God, England, and St. George!" We left feeling quite jolly, which could have simply been a result of all the treacle I consumed going straight to my bloodstream for a wondrous sugar high.
My reading life has been quite interesting of late. Upon finishing Two Part Invention by Madeleine L'Engle (which I highly recommend), I picked up a couple of books and tried to start them, to no avail. They just didn't feel right. And then a strange thing occurred--something similar to what I imagine a pregnant woman experiences when she starts to crave laundry detergent, or pickles, or something equally odd--I had a literary craving: a craving to read Ovid. And so I did. I read the first two books of The Metamorphoses, and loved every word of it. I read parts of it aloud to Claire, and she enjoyed the poetry as well. (At least it made her laugh.) With that craving out of my system, I have embarked on a new adventure: Science Fiction. Particularly, the Miles Vorkosigan series, of which I just finished the second book: Barrayar. IT IS SO GOOD! AND SO FUN! I love reading just about anything I can get my hands on, but there is the specific and unbeatable pleasure of reading a good story, that draws you in and doesn't let you go until the last page. Sean will probably be relieved that I've finished this book, since I've spent the last couple of days making continuous statements like, "I've just GOT to find out what happens on Barrayar!!!!"
In the audio book world, which is another pleasant land in which I often travel, I just finished listening to Whale Rider, which delighted me beyond belief with its characters and excellent reading, and now I am listening to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets--my least favorite book in the HP series, but wholly wonderful nevertheless.
I told Sean this afternoon, in all serious, and probably with only a hint of exaggeration (if I am honest with myself), "You know, after Christ, and you, and my family, and my Torrey education....Harry Potter is probably the best thing that's ever happened to me."
The end.
(For tonight.)
So, I'm really, really excited about going to Florida. I am going to have a bridal shower! Ever since I was about 9 or 10 years old, and went to both Lisa's and Theresa's bridal showers in the same year, I have wanted a bridal shower more than almost anything. A bridal shower and a rehearsal dinner. These events always struck me as far more important and glamorous than the wedding itself. Some girls dream about their weddings growing up, I dreamed about my rehearsal dinner. This is probably why I bought my rehearsal dinner dress before even securing a wedding dress.
Today made me so very happy because after a week of oppressively cold weather, it was sunny and relatively warm, and I wore my soon to be sister-in-law's red track shorts from middle school, and felt quite exuberant and sunny. After premarital counseling with our dear Father David, we drove home via State College, and stopped at the beautiful park situated quite nicely at the intersection of State College and Bastanchury. We parked the car, and stood for awhile in the warm sunlight, watching the green hills, and the hazy, still-snow-covered mountains in the distance. Life is so beautiful, and I was seized with an unshakable desire to go hiking. I made Sean promise that we will go hiking a lot when we get married, because hopefully then I will have a job with somewhat regular hours and will not have to work on the weekends.
Speaking of jobs, I will take a brief moment to mention my frustrations with my current job searching status: It is, for the most part, halted. I realized that I can't apply for a job in April and then say that I can't start working until July. So I'm still keeping my eye out there for opportunities, but I really do think that I'll have to wait awhile longer before I can really start applying for jobs--which is just as well, I suppose, considering how much work it's taking me to plan this wedding.
Yesterday, we celebrated St. George's Day, at St. George's, no less, which is the name given to the back apartment of Took Hall, where Peter Gross and Lewis Reynolds currently reside. The party was nothing short of splendid: we drank tea, and ate treacle toffee and all other sorts of specifically British delicacies, played the Great Dalmudi (of which I had a brief, but "M-A-L-evilent" reign, as Sean dubbed it [which is a lie, because I was an absolutely delightful ruler]), read aloud the story of St. George slaying the dragon, made merry, and said many times, "God, England, and St. George!" We left feeling quite jolly, which could have simply been a result of all the treacle I consumed going straight to my bloodstream for a wondrous sugar high.
My reading life has been quite interesting of late. Upon finishing Two Part Invention by Madeleine L'Engle (which I highly recommend), I picked up a couple of books and tried to start them, to no avail. They just didn't feel right. And then a strange thing occurred--something similar to what I imagine a pregnant woman experiences when she starts to crave laundry detergent, or pickles, or something equally odd--I had a literary craving: a craving to read Ovid. And so I did. I read the first two books of The Metamorphoses, and loved every word of it. I read parts of it aloud to Claire, and she enjoyed the poetry as well. (At least it made her laugh.) With that craving out of my system, I have embarked on a new adventure: Science Fiction. Particularly, the Miles Vorkosigan series, of which I just finished the second book: Barrayar. IT IS SO GOOD! AND SO FUN! I love reading just about anything I can get my hands on, but there is the specific and unbeatable pleasure of reading a good story, that draws you in and doesn't let you go until the last page. Sean will probably be relieved that I've finished this book, since I've spent the last couple of days making continuous statements like, "I've just GOT to find out what happens on Barrayar!!!!"
In the audio book world, which is another pleasant land in which I often travel, I just finished listening to Whale Rider, which delighted me beyond belief with its characters and excellent reading, and now I am listening to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets--my least favorite book in the HP series, but wholly wonderful nevertheless.
I told Sean this afternoon, in all serious, and probably with only a hint of exaggeration (if I am honest with myself), "You know, after Christ, and you, and my family, and my Torrey education....Harry Potter is probably the best thing that's ever happened to me."
The end.
(For tonight.)
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Confessions:
I live in a house that is over one hundred years old. At night, when everyone else is sleeping and I run water to brush my teeth, I can hear the old pipes creaking and rumbling. It took me a long time to realize that the noises I was hearing were the pipes. But now, I pretend that there's a basilisk in my pipes, and it makes me really happy at 1:00 o'clock in the morning to imagine a mythical creature living in my house's pipes. It brings me that much closer to Harry Potter. It makes my life feel a lot more exciting. I'm glad that at 23 my imagination is still running smoothly!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
I babysit Jewish children!
About a week ago, my mom called to inform me that I must go to Biola's bookstore on Thursday, March 25th between 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. in order to purchase my graduation announcements and a cap and gown. After a brief pause, I said, "Oh, I forgot I was graduating." In the all-consuming importance of planning a WEDDING and anticipating MARRIAGE, the celebration of my extremely hard-earned college degree almost got overlooked. Not anymore. Tonight I went to the bookstore and purchased the ridiculously over-priced announcements (which I am looking at as a financial investment, and hoping they will bring in more than I paid for them in the form of congratulatory gifts...) as well as my cap and tassel. I didn't need to procure a gown, since I am going to wear Sarah's. The more I think about it, the happier I am that I am wearing Sarah's gown, it is a small, but important, link to the class that I came in with, and to all of my dear friends with whom I went through college but did not get to graduate. All that to say, now I am feeling really excited about graduation!
I am also feeling really excited about my wedding. Priscilla of Boston called me yesterday to tell me that my shoes and my veil are both (finally) in, and will be shipped to me immediately. This means they either arrived today (I haven't gone home yet to check) or tomorrow! In the midst of the sheer mayhem of wedding planning, it is comforting to know that my wedding garb is taken care of. Everything else might go wrong, but my dress, veil, and shoes are perfect, and thus, I must conclude, the day will be perfect. Also, Sean will be there.
And thanks to Biola's Career Expo which I attended this morning, I am even feeling slightly encouraged about my working status and professional life after college. I might actually get a job that I like and am good at!
But if it all falls through, I know that I still have babysitting...at least for the next few years until it just gets too weird to have a thirty-something woman coming to your house to take care of your kids. I babysat Claire and Nicholas for 7 hours today, and when I left, I had the bouyant realization, "That was easy...and fun." Seven hours of technically hard work, and it flew by, and I enjoyed myself. That is a true sign that I am doing something that I love. I also found out that Claire and Nicholas are a quarter Jewish. For those of you who truly know me, you know how much this means to me. If it was possible, and I highly doubt it that it is, I adore those kids even more now. I spent the day regarding them with nothing short of great awe...Holding Nicholas and thinking, "I am holding a quarter Jewish child..." or feeding Claire lunch and thinking, "I am feeding a child who is a quarter Jewish!" When Claire went down for her nap this afternoon, I got a lot of one on one time with Nicholas, who is almost 9 months old. My mind started to drift (as it normally does) to Harry Potter, so I started telling Nicholas, "You're just a little bit younger than Harry was when he survived/defeated Voldemort for the first time..." I hope his dad wasn't listening too closely from the next room.
I am also feeling really excited about my wedding. Priscilla of Boston called me yesterday to tell me that my shoes and my veil are both (finally) in, and will be shipped to me immediately. This means they either arrived today (I haven't gone home yet to check) or tomorrow! In the midst of the sheer mayhem of wedding planning, it is comforting to know that my wedding garb is taken care of. Everything else might go wrong, but my dress, veil, and shoes are perfect, and thus, I must conclude, the day will be perfect. Also, Sean will be there.
And thanks to Biola's Career Expo which I attended this morning, I am even feeling slightly encouraged about my working status and professional life after college. I might actually get a job that I like and am good at!
But if it all falls through, I know that I still have babysitting...at least for the next few years until it just gets too weird to have a thirty-something woman coming to your house to take care of your kids. I babysat Claire and Nicholas for 7 hours today, and when I left, I had the bouyant realization, "That was easy...and fun." Seven hours of technically hard work, and it flew by, and I enjoyed myself. That is a true sign that I am doing something that I love. I also found out that Claire and Nicholas are a quarter Jewish. For those of you who truly know me, you know how much this means to me. If it was possible, and I highly doubt it that it is, I adore those kids even more now. I spent the day regarding them with nothing short of great awe...Holding Nicholas and thinking, "I am holding a quarter Jewish child..." or feeding Claire lunch and thinking, "I am feeding a child who is a quarter Jewish!" When Claire went down for her nap this afternoon, I got a lot of one on one time with Nicholas, who is almost 9 months old. My mind started to drift (as it normally does) to Harry Potter, so I started telling Nicholas, "You're just a little bit younger than Harry was when he survived/defeated Voldemort for the first time..." I hope his dad wasn't listening too closely from the next room.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Who wrote the NIV?
I'm currently listening to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on my drives to and from work. Today I drove home crying over that beloved little house elf, Dobby. I also spent a good deal of time thinking about the importance and symbolism of Harry digging Dobby's grave by hand, and what happens to him while he is down in the earth. While he is in the ground, he realizes a lot of things, and when he comes back to the surface, he has released his obsession with the Hallows. He experiences a death--the death of his hope for the Hallows, and his hope to be Master of Death. He has released his hope that he can defeat death by never dying, and he instead turns back to pursuing the horcruxes--the quest Dumbledore bequeathed him--which will ultimately lead to the laying down of his own life. He resists the temptation to defeat Death by becoming it's Master, and makes the first step in the process of defeating Death by dying. "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." Harry's temptation to use the Hallows reminds me of the temptation of Christ. Last week was Temptation Sunday (the first Sunday of Lent) so this subject is fresh in my mind. Satan comes to Jesus and basically offers him the easy way of accomplishing what he was sent to do. He can save the world by not dying...He just needs to bow down to Satan, and then all the kingdoms of the earth shall be his. In the same way, Harry is offered the opportunity to defeat Voldemort by not laying down his life. But it must be through death that death is conquered.
I was telling Sean some of these ideas at dinner tonight, and he listened, and agreed with me, and then said, "But Care, you forget, you shouldn't be reading Harry Potter, all it teaches is sorcery and witchcraft." Sean has recently taken to looking up websites and YouTube videos by KJV-only activists, who insist that the NIV was written by the Antichrist and should be called the HIV, because it spreads infectious disease. They also believe that television is "Hellevision," that Beauty and the Beast condones bestiality, that the Pope is the Vicar of Hell, and, of course, that Harry Potter is Satan himself. At best these sincere people take themselves just a bit too seriously.
Tonight, Sean, Matt, and I went to the Little Old Bookshop on Greenleaf in Whittier. We got an email saying that the bookstore is struggling to stay in business and they were having a sale this week in hopes of staying afloat. The email--written by a Torrey chum--ended by saying that every time a bookstore closes, a piece of Western civilization dies. Although I am fully able to recognize the melodrama of this statement, I can also see the kernel of truth which it contains. So, we went off happily to do our small part in saving Western Civilization, and bought $60.00 worth of books.
Arms overflowing with books, we ran down Greenleaf to the car, and sped away in order to make it back in time for Lost. Sean made some questionable driving moves, including--but not limited to--passing someone on Biola Avenue...but we made it back in time, and ran like madmen (and women) into the apartment in time to see, "Previously on Lost..." But in Lost news, I am feeling quite deserted, abandoned. Sayid Jarrah has been my Rock for five seasons of this roller coaster of a television show, and tonight, the Rock crumbled--the ground was taken out from beneath my feet. Who do I trust now?!?!
I was telling Sean some of these ideas at dinner tonight, and he listened, and agreed with me, and then said, "But Care, you forget, you shouldn't be reading Harry Potter, all it teaches is sorcery and witchcraft." Sean has recently taken to looking up websites and YouTube videos by KJV-only activists, who insist that the NIV was written by the Antichrist and should be called the HIV, because it spreads infectious disease. They also believe that television is "Hellevision," that Beauty and the Beast condones bestiality, that the Pope is the Vicar of Hell, and, of course, that Harry Potter is Satan himself. At best these sincere people take themselves just a bit too seriously.
Tonight, Sean, Matt, and I went to the Little Old Bookshop on Greenleaf in Whittier. We got an email saying that the bookstore is struggling to stay in business and they were having a sale this week in hopes of staying afloat. The email--written by a Torrey chum--ended by saying that every time a bookstore closes, a piece of Western civilization dies. Although I am fully able to recognize the melodrama of this statement, I can also see the kernel of truth which it contains. So, we went off happily to do our small part in saving Western Civilization, and bought $60.00 worth of books.
Arms overflowing with books, we ran down Greenleaf to the car, and sped away in order to make it back in time for Lost. Sean made some questionable driving moves, including--but not limited to--passing someone on Biola Avenue...but we made it back in time, and ran like madmen (and women) into the apartment in time to see, "Previously on Lost..." But in Lost news, I am feeling quite deserted, abandoned. Sayid Jarrah has been my Rock for five seasons of this roller coaster of a television show, and tonight, the Rock crumbled--the ground was taken out from beneath my feet. Who do I trust now?!?!
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