Day 202: December 30th

From the newsdesk...
This is the end

The time has come for me to say goodbye to this blog. I have decided that I want to try something new and as with the theme of the new year coming up, I would like a new blog, a clean slate as such.

The blog has taught me to start small and work your way up.
It's shown me that if something isn't working to keep trying and if it still isn't going your way, there's no shame in giving up.
The days of the lists were my love and hate. If I could think of something it was fantastic and I'd just slam it out, but BUT if I couldn't think of anything it was a nightmare and sometimes the blog was a chore instead of something fun and frivolous.
My current theme From the newsdesk suits me much better. It gives me more freedom and time to write whatever I want and whenever I want. I think that writing on this blog gave me more confidence to share my writing to the world (even if no-one is reading it) and to critique my own writing as it appeared on the screen. To quote Hairspray, "I've come so far, but I've got so far to go".

So goodbye to 365lists - I never did finish you, but I tried my best. You got the best of me, but I'm very proud of what I achieved (168 days).
Goodbye to From the newsdesk - you've taught me what real blogging is like and how to write really. I will miss you all, but thanks for everything.

Goodbye. Sayonara. Au Revior. Tchau. Shalom.

Day 193: July 31

From the newsdesk...

Happy birthday Jo (and Harry)

Dear Jo,

First off, happy birthday. The purpose for writing this letter isn't solely to wish you a happy day for when you were born; it's a thank you letter. 

Thank-you for writing. Thank you for being on that train that day and putting down the idea of Harry Potter on the that serviette (or napkin - what do they call it in England?). Thank you for creating our favourite red head family - to the tricks the twins play to Ron's fear of spiders (why couldn't it be follow the butterflies?) to Mrs. Weasley's 'NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH' one-liner that had the whole cinema cheering. Thank you for creating the Malfoy's, a family that just mirrors our reality. Thank you for creating Lily and James and McGonagall and Dumbledore and Snape. Always. Thanks for creating Hermione to show us that girls can be warriors to and thanks for Lupin and Tonks and Mad-Eye and Luna to show that different is good. Finally, thank you for Harry. We saw him (and Dan) grow up from a small boy whp lived under the stairs to a man who duelled with Voldy. As it is said 'there won't be a person in this world who won't know his name'.

Thanks for Hogwarts and Hogsmeade and Azkaban. Thanks for all the time and effort and energy you have put into this series of books. 

I remember when I was about 9, and my older sister was reading Harry Potter and my mom said to me "oh, why don't you read this?" and I looked over at the book and I said to her "No, it looks bad". And if I could take back any words I've said, it would be this. I think maybe a few months later, I thought to myself, why not? I started the Philosopher's Stone - and never looked back. 

I remember going to line up for the last book. We had a countdown and we took it straight back home and my sister read it in 9 hours straight. I took it from her and devoured it. It was like I had been waiting for a part of my childhood to come along and this was it. I finished it. And you never once let us down Jo; not once. 

One more thing I remember is the premiere of the last movie. The last ever Harry Potter movie to show in cinemas. I went to the midnight screening with my best friend of the time, my younger sister (who had since become obsessed) and her friend. We dressed up; I was Hermione and my sister was Luna. We walked in and see Ron's, Harry's, Weasley twins, a Lucius and even a Malfoy. The atmosphere was brilliant. We went into the cinema and the movie started. I think it was about two hours. People cried, people laughed. I certainly laughed, but I didn't cry. I just watched the movie, reliving everything from the books. And then it finished. We just sat there for about ten minutes, taking it in. NO MORE MOVIES. But then I thought, I've got the books. They're taken me through 5 years of my life and they will continue to do that. 

So Joanne (Kathleen), thank you for my childhood. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By extension, happy birthday to Harry Potter. 

To the Boy Who Lived, 

Thanks for the years of laughter and fun and tears and spells and magic and flying and Polyjuice Potion and crying and Ford Anjelicas and transfiguration and the Snitch and Fluffy and Fang and fights and duels and you pretending to be dead and your glasses and your scar and just you. 

Thanks for being apart of my childhood. 

---------------------------------------------------

On a really unrelated note, I cut my hair!! Since I came to Australia (2005) I have had long hair and I was just getting really sick of it and it was just there I wanted it cut. For once I actually like my hair cut. 

Hair today, gone tomorrow 

Day 181: March 21

From the newsdesk...

Maureen McCarthy

Tonight I listened to and met Maureen McCarthy.

She's an author:
Ganglands
Rose by any other name
Queen Kat, Carmel and St. Jude
Wake up and find me gone

Her new book is called The Convent , and while it's fiction, all the history in the book about the actual (Abbottsford) Convent is true. She told us the original inspiration for this piece was a note she'd written to herself in 1991 - just over 30 years ago.

She had wanted to know more about her mothers childhood in the convent. Why was she there? What was it like? What were the people like? The environment?
(Her mother had lived there from 3 years of age until she was 15 or 16).

Maureen went on to tell us about the convent and how it really was a refuge for girls and their problems. She talked and interviewed many people about the convent and life during that time. Most of them said it was great, but some of them, especially the laundry workers, said it was harsh and horrible.

She read us an excerpt from her new book and then she signed my copy of Rose by any other name

She's one of those people who you just want to be like when you grow up. Not necessarily have her job (although I'd want that too, because being an author would be perf), but her manner and you can see she loves what she does.

That's what I'd like to do. I'd like to have a job or do something that, when I talk to people about it, they can see I'm really enjoying myself. That I absolutely love what I'm doing.

She also had on a matching colour scarf and skirt (and bracelet) and her shoes and stockings went well.

You could see she was passionate about what she did and she wanted to share her passion and joy with others. She wanted other people to experience the pure happiness of books and writing.

So one day, when I write a speech, thanking people for things that need thanking for, mark my words, Maureen McCarthy will be on that list.


Mark my words.