Epic Tales and Harry Potter

Thanks to my Spanish Lit. class I've started to analyze stories and movies more when I see them. Last night I went to see the second half of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and I realized why this series attracts so many people from different backgrounds and age groups: the characters.

The plot of the Harry Potter series follows the same basic format of any story with a hero. Yes, J.K. Rowling did create a whole other world which is brilliant in and of itself, but the hero's journey, the fight between good and evil, are the basic factors driving the story.

What really sets the Potter series apart is there isn't one "hero" that she uses to bring her readers in.Classic Disney stories like Cinderella have multiple characters, but there's only one character the audience relates to- Cinderella. While watching the movie no one compares them self to the wicked stepmother or even prince charming because Cinderella is the most rounded character with similar problems, dreams and desires as the rest of us. Yet, even Cinderella doesn't quite relate.

Unlike Cinderella, Rowling doesn't force us to only relate to Harry Potter, an orphan going to school through his teenage years facing extreme problems and choices. Instead, we also relate to Hermoine, the smart, clever, though plain-looking girl who helps Harry Potter time and again. Sometimes Hermoine is our hero. Then there's characters like Luna/Neville who are picked on, ignored and not particularly bright. Yet, at times they're recognized for acts that didn't take any particular skill other than standing up for what they believe in. Sometimes they are our hero. Then there is Snape, mysterious, dark, sad. We hate what he does, but yet can't dismiss him as an evil person like we do Voldemort. There's always something missing. It turns out Snape may be the real hero of the whole story, sacrificing everything to protect the son of the woman he loves. He received no fame or glory, but faced danger, heartache, loneliness and death for the thing he felt was right. Sometimes Snape is our hero.

None of us have perfect looks or a perfect personality and generally we don't just have one giant obstacle to overcome and then live happily ever after. Most of us are plain and clever or have a secret heartache and yet we still do extraordinary things. That is why we love Harry Potter so much. We feel we could step into the story and be one of the characters.

So to all you heroes out there...here's a warm glass of butterbeer. Cheers.

Fall Spirit

Originally this post was going to be about Halloween, but then I realized there are so many reasons I love Fall other than just the holiday on Oct. 31. It's the most colorful time of year with the leaves changing and apples and squashes filling the grocery story. It's no longer hot, but still sunny and warm most days, and with the holiday season approaching there's a happy sense of anticipation that adds a slight skip to your step. 

 Of course one of the best parts of the season is all the yummy food you can start eating again: hot chocolate, pie, pumpkin. A couple weeks ago my husband and I tried making popcorn balls for the first time and with a few additions they turned out pretty well. Here's the recipe from http://allrecipes.com.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1/2 cup unpopped popcorn

6 tablespoons butter 5 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions:

1.	Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Set aside.
2.	Add vegetable oil to a 4 quart saucepan, and heat over high heat. When oil is hot, add popping corn. Keep pan moving constantly. When corn stops popping, remove from heat. Put popcorn in prepared pan.
3.	Melt butter In a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in marshmallows and cook until melted, stirring constantly. Pour marshmallow mixture over popcorn and mix with spoon to coat evenly.
4.	Let mixture cool slightly. Smear butter on your hands or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Mix popcorn with your hands so that it is evenly coated.
5.	Form popcorn into 8 balls.

My husband and I added junior mints to the popcorn before the marshmallow mixture, so they would melt and distribute the color/flavor evenly. I think next time I'll intersperse some candy corn too.

 

Finally, who doesn't like pretending their someone or something else for a little while?

 

Planking

The art of planking is to lay horizontally across any object or the ground with their arms by their sides, aiming to occur in daring situations or a brotherly display of core-strength..

In other words a random hobby I found out about through Facebook pictures and an episode of The Office. Todd and I went on a hike up Provo Canyon last Saturday to look at all the Fall colors. I pulled the camera out to start taking pictures, and Todd decided he wanted to try planking, so he did...

 And then he did it again...

 And then he told me to try it...so, after making sure nobody was around, I awkwardly laid across a rock.

  

I've decided I'll stick to taking pictures...

Remembering Summer...

So, to state the obvious I haven't been updating my blog. Something about getting married, getting a house put together, finishing up content for a magazine, and oh school started! I know, it's been a full month, and it's still sinking in. So to catch up, here's a recap of my summer.

I married my sweetheart, Todd, in the Logan Temple

   

Climbed the Y for the first time.

Turned 21!

Trip up the Canyon

Visited the St. George Temple

Went to my first BYU soccer game!

It was an incredible summer. Now time for pumpkins, pretty leaves, scarves, Thanksgiving and Christmas!