Various and Sundry replies

[Penny & Bryce]

Hi all --

I've been in radio silence mode for the last 2 months or so but wanted to clear out some emails I've been hoarding.  Mostly off-topic .......

BABIES -- Many of you know already, but we had a little birth announcement of our own: our son, David Harry (and we're calling him Harry), arrived in late December.  Congrats to Joanna on little Elly's birth ---- I've been meaning to post that for some time now!  She's just beautiful, and I didn't think there could be very many babies born with more hair than my Elizabeth had but Elly does have more.  :--)

OUTLANDER --- Jeralyn, Carole got me and various others hooked on the Outlander series ages ago.  I'm about due for a re-read in fact.  <g>

JKR'S WEBSITE ---- I feel much like David and Catherine.  Whilst I'm happy to get some of the niggling details, I'm not pleased when she gives a very off-the-cuff answer to something that lots of people have spent a good bit of time niggling over in the past.  I know I need to eat some crow, Ali, on the whole Hermione's age issue, and I'm happy to do that (well, not really *happy* you understand ...... but I'm okay with being wrong).  However, I'm not happy that she didn't at least acknowledge that she'd left the whole issue a bit open for interpretation.  It would have been nice to see her elaborate on the arguments advanced by those of us formerly in the 1980 crowd.   Her answer on the website reads a bit like "Well, you dunces, of *course* she was turning 12 that first year!"  By the same token, I'm happy to know that she realizes that we shippers are all a bit rabid and therefore she appears to be taking the course of remaining silent on the whole R/H vs. H/H issue henceforth ..... and I guess she did at least shoot down the Luna/Neville ship with more than just a cursory and abrupt answer.  But, all too often, I find myself thinking that her answers are just too glib, given the time and passion that her fans have invested in various theories.  I think I too might rather just let the books have the final word, without the commentary from Rowling until the whole series is completed.  Not that this stops me from racing over to jkr.com whenever I hear there's been an update, mind you.  <g>

POTTER OBSESSION LEVELS ----- I found myself agreeing so much with Eloise when she said:

<<<<<<<<<I find it difficult to balance doing the things I really need to/want 
to in real life against doing my bit for admin and getting involved 
in on-list discussion. I'd love to get into long involved discussions 
like I used to, but they are just so time consuming and I find it 
hard to justify it.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

That's where I'm at too.  I am looking forward to discussing HBP though, and I'm re-reading the entire series while I'm nursing the baby.  I have occasionally had the desire to write another shipping essay ....... but then figured I would just wait until after HBP anyway.  But, I've just found it hard to justify the intense online time commitment that I engaged in during years past at the height of my HPfGU involvement.  The kids are making that very tough!  But obviously, naming my son Harry indicates I haven't entirely lost my passion for the series.  :--)

Take care all --

Penny
  



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