I’m doing something I’ve never done before in my life.  I bought tickets in advance to see Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, July 15, 2009!  I originally planned on taking the kids to the 3:10 p.m. show that same day, but when one of my kids couldn’t switch his work schedule to join us, I opted for the midnight show.   Now we’re all pretty excited not only to see the movie, but also because we’re doing something out of the norm for us.  The girls and I are going in pajamas, too!

My boys (now 18) were just at the age where many of their friends were reading the first books when they came out.  They’ve never been avid readers by any stretch of the imagination, but at least one of them read the first four books.  He only reads when something captures and holds his attention, which Rowling does amazingly with these books.  I never read the books until after watching the fourth movie, Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire.  I had to know what happened next, so I bought the last two books the very next day and finished them in less than a month.  I would have finished sooner had I not had a job!

ABC Family channel is having a Harry Potter Weekend event and showing all five movies consecutively.  We’re having our own Harry Potter marathon this weekend (on DVD).  We watched the first two movies last night and will continue with the next three movies this afternoon.  I would skim through the Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince book before the movie, but I want to be surprised by whatever I may have forgotten since reading it over a year ago.

Image from dvdactive.com

We finally opened and watched Marley & Me tonight.  I knew tissues were required, but I didn’t realize I’d be wearing my full ugly cry face!  We’ve already been through this and lost two dogs within a year.  We’re reaching the middle of the whole cycle again with two more dogs!

Though Marley was an extreme example of a “bad dog” beyond training, I love that the couple were true dog lovers and never gave up and got rid of him.  It’s easy for those with “perfect” dogs or with no pets at all to suggest getting rid of an ill-behaved dog.  I believe that a dog with absolutely no issues is a rare find, though.  My dogs have their issues, but the joy they bring far outshines any less-than-desirable behaviors they may have.

The story of Marley through each stage of his life easily holds the attention of the younger viewer, but there is also the story of  the couple going through the stages of their own life together.  I found it particularly entertaining how the “list” of life events and the order in which they were to occur started to lose it’s lustre after the second baby came long.  After the third baby, that list was tossed aside completely!

I found it interesting that what the husband thought he wanted to do in his career never quite worked out.  Instead, he realized there was another path within that career at which he was better.  The wife also faced a tough career decision.

I’m on the fence with the ending.  I thought the movie might have had one more twist to lighten the mood, even if they buried it in the end credits as many new movies are doing these days.  Nope!  The viewer is left to wallow in sadness.

The church would have you tell your children to abstain, period.  That’s just not good enough!  It’s more effective for teens to see consequences of their decisions, and this show touches on several different decisions.  Everybody is not “doing it”, and that’s alright!

While I don’t think kids should be free to watch whatever they want, I do believe that sheltering them from television too much is not a good thing.  The key is watching together so situations may be discussed.  Instead of sending them into the world (or high school) blind to the ways of society and risk them making uninformed decisions along the way, why not just talk to them before then?

If you wait until your teen asks you about sex or brings up drugs or alcohol, chances are it’s too late.  Talk to them first no matter how uncomfortable it makes you feel.

Ingredients:

2 heads broccoli
1/2 lb bacon (crisp fried & crumbled)
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1/2 bag sunflower kernels (or to taste)
1/2 cup raisins (or to taste)

Dressing Ingredients:

1 cup mayonaise
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp vinegar

Mix together the dressing first and set aside.

Chop off broccoli stems close to flowerettes, then break or cut into bite-sized pieces.  Mix remaining ingredients together by tossing by hand.   Add dressing just before serving.

Serves at least 4-6.

Tip: I like to cook my bacon in the microwave using a microwave bacon grill.

Ingredients:

3-5 lbs. red potatoes
4-5 eggs
3 stalks celery
1 medium onion
3/4 jar Miracle Whip Light
salt & pepper to taste

Scrub and boil potatoes (skins on) in large pot until soft, but not too soft; usually 30-45 minutes.  Place eggs in pot with cold water and a pinch of salt.  Bring eggs to boil, reduce to simmer, cover for 12 minutes.  Meanwhile, finely chop celery and onion.

Cool potatoes and eggs 30-60 minutes.  Peel potatoes and dice into 1/4 inch cubes.  Place diced potatoes in large mixing bowl.  Add diced eggs, celery, and onions.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Gently fold in Miracle Whip a little at a time until creamy.  Check for adequate salt and pepper; adding more if needed.  Best when chilled overnight.

Serves about 10 hungry people!

Ingredients:

1 Head Iceberg Lettuce
1/3 Head Romaine Lettuce
1 cup Artichoke Hearts (NOT marinated)
1/2 medium Red Onions, thinly sliced
1 cup diced Pimentos
2/3 cup Olive Oil
1/3 cup REGINA wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium Red Onion, grated
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2/3 cup freshly grated parmigiano cheese

Wash the iceberg and romaine lettuce, allowing all the water to drain completely (I love my salad spinner!). Place in refrigerator to chill. When lettuce is well-chilled, remove from refrigerator. Split head of iceberg lettuce in half, pulling the heart of lettuce out of both halfs and breaking into small pieces. DO NOT USE A KNIFE ON LETTUCE. Only separate the rest of the iceberg, it will break up when tossed. Tear the romaine lettuce (each leaf into 3 sections). Place both kinds of lettuce into mixing bowl.

Drain artichoke hearts well; measure and add to lettuce (I like to peel away any tougher outer layers first). Peel and slice red onion; drain pimentos. Add onions and pimentos to lettuce.

Add Olive Oil, Vinegar, minced garlic (a garlic press works wonders!), grated onion, salt, and pepper to blender and blend.  No need to chill; best at room temperature. Add dressing to salad and toss.  Then add parmigiano cheese. Toss again until all is mixed completely and serve.

Makes 4-6 Servings

Bottom Ingredients:
1 yellow cake mix
1 stick butter, melted
1 egg

Top Ingredients:
1 box confectioner’s sugar
2 eggs
8 oz cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla

Mix cake mix, butter, and 1 egg.  Press into 9×13 buttered pan.

Beat the top ingredients until smooth and pour on top.

Bake at 350 (325 in glass pan) for 40-45 minutes.  Cool and sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.

Enjoy!

And so begins a brand new journey into the world of amateur journalism.  The direction of this ship is only just beginning to be mapped.  I woke up this morning with an idea to create something more structured than an erratic blog (already have one of those).  However, I don’t want it to be structured to the point of losing such freedom.  Hence, my unstructured, structured cyberzine!

I scribbled out categories and subcategories on a pad of paper while standing in my kitchen this morning.  I deleted some and added others, and I finally came up with those that are most important to me.  All that was left was to come up with a name.  Oh boy!  This is the part I always dread because I’m stuck with it once I choose one.  The second word that popped into my head stuck: Dangle.  Quirky?  Yes!  That’s exactly the point.  Will it stick in your head?  I think it will!  Why?  Because I pictured myself dangling on the edge of life writing about the things I see while hanging on with all my might!

You might want to grab a life vest because I think the waters will be a little choppy while I pull this together!