on the bonnie, bonnie banks

One of the things I was looking forward to most this summer was attending the HP7b Premiere in London. I figured it would be a fitting ending to the work that has completely dominated my adolescent years, and if truth be told, my adult years as well.

When I found out we would be in Scotland during the premiere, you can bet I was a seriously considering dogging the whole thing this summer.
But instead we boarded the bus to the birthplace of the series with smiles on our faces.

We of course stopped by the Elephant House where JK wrote a large portion of the tale.


I wish I would have taken a picture of the bathroom. The toilet cover was a Harry Potter collage and all over there were love notes to JK etched in the walls. I'll be the first one to admit that my obsession and deep love for the series is...abnormal. And I'm fine with that. But I have to admit that with my first step into the cafe I was just overcome by the magic of it all. Not the kind of magic taught at Hogwarts (although I wish it were that kind) but the magic of the human spirit. Imagine, a grown woman was inspired by a story about an 11 year old wizard and she believed in this story so strongly that she was willing to give up stability with a secure job and live on pennies in order to make her vision a reality. If I feel silly for loving the world renown stories, imagine how she must have felt as a grown woman, believing in a fictional story she didn't even know would sell. She believed in herself when all rational thinking probably told her she shouldn't. And I think this is what you get from the Harry Potter stories - a permanent, if not at times doubtful belief in one's self against all odds. And perhaps even more important, the stories demonstrate a strong sense of duty to a cause greater than one's self and a willingness to sacrifice everything for it, hoping that everything will turn up in the end, but honestly feeling like it won't. And I feel lucky to have grown up with the books that took me to a place full of courage, sacrifice and faith. Thankfully I've begun to realize that those things aren't just fantastical, they're real. Because really, aren't we all pushing and striving for something greater than ourselves, something that requires courage, sacrifice and faith?
Or perhaps I have carried this to a level of seriousness it wasn't intended to go. I doubt that.

(Edinburgh Castle. The supposed view from the place where JK would sit and write the blessed story. Remind you of any school of witchcraft and wizardry?)

And now I'll stop there with all things Harry. After all, this is supposed to be a chronicle of both mine and Alex's life. Or parts of it anyway.

On the way to Scotland we stopped by Fountains Abbey.

I couldn't help but think of sweet Kel Hole the entire time, so this pic is for you, friend.

And for Alex's sake, we did escape from the birthplace of HP to Middle-earth on our hike to the Trossachs of Scotland.



I couldn't help but feel like the ringwraiths were going to appear out of the sky at any moment.
It was terrifyingly beautiful.

Overlooking Loch Lomond.

See the small head poking up? Proof that my mom is definitely still here with us.

And finally a few pictures of the city itself, which was fabulous.

View of the castle from the Sir Walter Scott Monument.

In an effort to complete the classic fantasy references I've included a picture of Mr. Tumnus. Besides, my mom loves Tumnus and paid top pound for this pic.

first things first

It's been quite the eventful 3 weeks. Or year, if we're strictly speaking in blogosphere terms.

So, lets begin with Michigan. And the logical beginning there are my grandparents on their wedding day. Thanks to my uncle, we were looking through treasures like this all week.

Followed by the lake, of course.

If only clarity in the water signified warmth, but alas.

And we'll end with some time by the fire.

And just like that, the blogger magic has erased all the rainy, stormy days spent at the lake.

Thank goodness the magic can't reach beyond the computer screen.

our blog IS still here.

Just a little something to get me back on track. It's always a rough transition back, but I can do this. I can blog again.



Hope your third, fourth and fifth were as good as ours.

-annie

real life?

So, I guess it takes one of 2 things to get me to blog:

1. spending at least 8 hours a day by myself in a foreign country with no other personal contact

or

2. the breaking of my furnace so as to trap me in my bed, under my covers, in my bedroom with an electric heater waiting for the furnace man to come for several hours.

The rarity of the two scenarios equates to the rarity of my blog posts.

But this "real life" stuff that occurs between my sporadic public cyber displays has taught me many things:

Real Life Revelation #1: Marriage is way better than it's cracked up to be

One year wedding anniversary celebrations

Real Life Revelation #2: Skydiving is much more terrifying in retrospect

My reaction to the event: pure disbelief that God let me survive

Real Life Revelation #3: My grandmother and sister's daughter like my husband more than me

Thanksgiving in D.C.

Real Life Revelation #4: My junior high teachers/counselors were wrong: friendships do last

Florida trip to visit Katie

Halloween Murder Mystery Dinner

Real Life Revelation #5: Jess has at least double the leg length of my own

Real Life Revelation #6: This really isn't a personal revelation, but a revelation in behalf of all those who doubted and were brought to the truth of the matter at my Quidditch Cup Birthday Party that Cassie, Chelsey and Liz (partial disbelievers themselves) threw>

The world of Harry Potter is not just for children and Quidditch can

be enjoyed with or without brooms

All you need are a couple of excellent friends who will commit crimes of theft in your behalf (for legality purposes said friends will remain anonymous).

You know who you are Cass.

The sorting of the teams

Slytherin Team Meeting

Real Life Revelation #7: Columbus Day Celebrations have been the best kept secret for the last 21 years of my life

Real Life Revelation #8: Trent sings like an angel

Real Life Revelation #9: By far the most rewarding DYI creation: Halloween Costumes

Magic School Bus anyone?

Warren Jeff's Crew

(Notice: Kel really knows how to give it to the camera.)

Tumnus and Lucy

That's at least 4 month's worth of blogging.

-annie

it's done.

Preparing to leave Brussels has been very different than I imagined it being. To say I've been "counting down the days" until I go home, all summer long, wouldn't be totally accurate, buttt it'd be pretty close. However, when the countdown reached 2 weeks I knew I was as good as done and quit focusing on going home and started cramming in everything I wanted or needed to do before I left. And honestly, in the past two weeks I haven't been really anxious to go home because Alex isn't coming with me. So really, I feel like I've been pretty indifferent to the situation, until today.

Because of "goodbye parties" of sorts, two nights ago was our last meal together in our apartment here in Brussels. I hadn't thought twice about it until we sat down and Alex mentioned it in the prayer for our food. And I was suddenly struck with emotions I didn't think I would have. There were tears coming down my face! What?!

How could I possibly be sad about leaving these long, lonesome days and this very unusual city? (We've talked about if we ever want to come back here...the jury's still out.)

But I realized during that prayer that I've learned really valuable things here.

I've learned how to cook. I've learned how to be healthier. I've learned how to be brave...er. I've learned that I can still be "friends" with people I can't talk to. I've learned a lot about myself - I've been spending a lot of time with her lately. I've learned that I actually hate being late! And get this, we've actually been on time here...mostly. I've learned that the posters are true - I really never am alone. I've learned to love reading again. I've learned how to paint a tiny bit. I've learned how very blessed I am to have always been surrounded by so many people that I love, even here; we've met some great ones. I've learned that writing hundreds of thank you cards has it's benefits - helping to remind me how generous people are. I've learned how to keep a house, or at least an apartment, clean. I've learned that Alex is my joy. Our marriage has strengthened in a way that couldn't have happened back in Provo - or maybe anywhere in an English speaking country. We've had to depend on each other for pretty much everything. And on more than one occasion I've thought how happy and lucky I was that it was Alex who I was spending so much time with, and not anyone else (as much as I love so many other people).

So really, the tears were ones of little sadness and much gratitude.

Alex, Steph, Dominika, Ewelina, Kasha, Carolin, Junaid, Nephi

Candy and I.

Rachel, Alex, Me, Viktoria and Brandon enjoying our daily luncheon.

Alex's high school friend Rich Nash and his wife are taking over our spot and arrived last night to our apartment. It's so fun having them here with us. With their arrival came the realization that this place is now no longer ours. And although it has never been ours to begin with, the entire city of Brussels has always felt like it kind of belonged to just Alex and myself. A place and life so "our own". A place that no one from our previous lives played any part in, except of course for the blessed visitors we received who were able to catch a glimpse of it. But it is "ours" no longer. Pretty soon we'll both be gone and it'll be Rich and Kristen's apartment and Rich and Kristen's Brussels. And I hope they have just as memorable a time here as we have.

This morning I woke up excited for Provo.

It's done now, and I'm ready to go home.

Hopefully, Alex won't take too long to follow suit.

-annie