So Long, Farewell - Go, Already!

by Caren Crane



Before anyone gets concerned, this blog is not about me going anywhere. No, this is about something that is happening all over the country. It started last week and will continue for several weeks to come. This is about a bunch of parents - me and my husband included - packing their cars, vans and SUVs full of junk and hauling it all to universities near and far. This is about the stuff of dreams and all-too-much drama: college move-in day.







On Friday, we had the dubious pleasure of moving our middle child and older daughter to college. She happens to be attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (yes, I own one of these buttons - Go Tarheels!), but I'm sure our experience was fairly common. We followed a series of signs along a convoluted route to get in a line to be assigned a parking area where we were allotted a generous 45 minutes to "unload".



Now, we have an ancient Plymouth Voyager SE minivan - the extra long kind. We took out the back bench seat and were able to load the 10-foot-long roll of carpet into it. It fit perfectly, as if designed for just such duty. I have a feeling those minivan engineers had packed more than one kid off to college! In addition to the carpet, we had a dorm fridge, saucer chair, all manner of clothes, shoes, bedding, books, hangers, toiletries, laptop, etc. I don't recall my son having nearly as much stuff, but guys have different priorities. I recall lots of angst over routers, ethernet connections and gaming systems when he went to college.



We managed to get the van unloaded and everything carted to the 9th floor (yes, the 9th of 10 floors) in the furthest dorm from the main campus. The RAs and residence hall staff were all great. They arranged it so only half the kids were moving into the dorm on Friday and the other half Saturday. It seemed - on Friday - to http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifbe working fairly seamlessly. (For fun, click on this time lapse movie of move-in to my daughter's dorm - it's #4, Hinton James. It looks like it was taken last year, when there was a big storm moving through, and I have to say there were LOTS more cars there this year.)



I was fine while we dropped the daughter off. She was more than ready for us to leave by the time we left. My husband and I were both rather down and depressed Friday night. It didn't help that the youngest - who will be a high school senior this year - spent the night with a friend and was gone all day Saturday at a church event. We got a real taste of the empty nest. I had to call my mother on Saturday and whine a bit. She understood exactly what I was whining about.



On Saturday, I had to go back to the university to deliver the second load. This load was everything that she had forgotten on Friday. By late Saturday afternoon, when I arrived with said second load, things were winding down and there wasn't an RA in sight. The parents who had driven down from places like New York and Minnesota looked dazed by the heat, humidity and lack of air conditioning in the elevators. But hey, at least they have A/C units in all the rooms now. They just finished air conditioning the last of the dorms LAST YEAR, if you can believe it. As balmy as it was in my daughter's suite on the 9th floor, at least there was a window unit chugging away. Again, my daughter was more than ready for me to be gone when I left.



Meanwhile, one my friends reported that when her son went to drop his daughter off at college on Friday, she cried and begged to be taken home. It took all his powers of persuasion to get his daughter to tearfully agree to stay and give it a try. While I was a bit disappointed that our daughter didn't even pretend she would miss us, I was really glad that she didn't cry and beg to be taken home. I'm not sure I could have steeled myself to leave her there if she had. Kindergarten was bad enough!



Do you have a college move-in day experience to share? Yours or your kids or someone you know? I recall my own being fairly calm, like my daughter's. Did you beg your parents to take you home - or did your kids beg you to take them home? I'll bet there are as many stories as their are kids. Do share! Meanwhile, I'll be waiting to see if more urgent phone calls come in for more urgently-needed "stuff". I'll also be planning how to get it all moved out at the end of the semester! ; )Source URL: http://gbejadacosta.blogspot.com/search/label/Caren%20Crane
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Women and Home Repairs

by Caren Crane

A few weeks ago, my best friend confessed that she had no water running from her kitchen faucet, although the side sprayer worked fine. Her husband has been dealing with a mother in very poor health, who lives 4-1/2 hours away from them. He has been trying to work his full-time job while also running her to dialysis, therapy, doctor's appointments and the hospital (which is 3 hours from where she lives). Bad situation and not one that is conducive to DIY plumbing repairs. They don't have money to call a plumber, so the faucet is still not working.

My friend has friends from out of town coming to stay in a little over a week, so the plumbing issue is making her anxious. After listening to her lament about it this week, I finally said the words I had been carefully holding back behind my bitten tongue ever since I first heard about the faucet. "Why don't you fix it yourself?"

As most women know, those words can put a strain on a friendship if not said with lots of love and every intention of pitching in to help. I said them with love and promptly began to offer help – from my desk at work, with links to articles and videos on the Internet. Every suggestion was met with stumbling blocks as to why it wouldn't work in her case. Finally, I realized the real issue was the same one I knew existed all along: my BFF, whom I love so dearly, is a Damsel In Distress.

Now, there is nothing wrong with being a Damsel In Distress. Most of the time, the Damsel flings her soft white hands in the air and rushes off to inform the closest male (significant other, relative, friend or co-worker) of her plight. He rushes in (or moseys over, or rolls his eyes) and fixes it (or promises to...someday or calls someone). I confess, I am not a Damsel In Distress, but I have played one on occasion, especially when it's computer-related and my techno-nerd husband is just upstairs. Or, you know, when I just don't feel like cleaning the dead bird off the porch or mucking out the gutters or whatever.


Damsels are very clever women, well-versed in the art of getting men (or other women) to do distasteful things for them. But they need lots of patience and I simply don't have enough! I tend to be more of a Rosie the Riveter. The kind of woman who rolls up her sleeves and gets things done, by gum. I come from a long line of Rosies and my mother and oldest sister were (and are) amazing DIY role models.


After my lovingly offered advice was dispensed, I took what was, perhaps, a rather unhealthy interest in my BFF's faucet with the stuck diverter (my diagnosis). I learned more about kitchen faucets this week than I ever wanted to know! I was determined we would fix it this weekend while her husband was out of town. I also figured if the Allen screw was corroded in place or something, I could always call my husband, Damsel-style, to come lend us his muscle. :P Then we found out it is impossible to get replacement parts for this particular faucet, so my poor BFF will have to get by with the sprayer alone until they can afford a new faucet. So much for me playing Rosie and getting things done! :(

So, are you a Damsel in Distress, willing and able to coax men (or other women) into riding to your rescue? Or are you a Rosie the Riveter, hitting the home improvement store for parts and the Internet (or even a man) for advice? And what is the toughest home repair you have either tackled yourself or convinced someone to tackle for you? I can't wait to hear your stories!Source URL: http://gbejadacosta.blogspot.com/search/label/Caren%20Crane
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Life In Hidden Pictures

by Caren Crane

I had a lovely daughter graduate from high school yesterday and it was one of those Significant Milestones that should be Caught On Film. I have a few pictures, most of which I am not in because I was taking the pictures, but I have some. They are now held hostage on my digital camera because I am too...let's not call it lazy, rather unwilling to take the time to upload all the pictures to my PC (although I did this one time, just to have a picture for this blog post!).

I have masses of picture prints from other Significant Milestones sitting in boxes in my dining room and guest room closet. (My husband would have consigned them to the attic and did not understand they would be ruined by being stored there!) I have no plans for these pictures, except to take them out from time to time and look at them or share them with others in the pictures. "Oh, look how cute they were then!"

I do not scrapbook (which I need to, because I'll forget this picture was Rachel's last day of school someday). I don't make cheesy photo collages to hang on the wall of the stairwell. There are no lines of framed school pictures from kindergarten through graduation on a mantle or wall or dresser in my home. I do have photos I have stuck in frames from time to time, more from shame and fear of being the Worst Mother Ever than any other motivation. I also have a very fragile and changeable collage of photos covering my fridge (ask anyone who has been to the house!) that spans the past couple of decades. I think there is even a baby picture of me up there!

I have great photos that I feel I should do something with, but I realize I probably won't. I may get them scanned one day - or I may give them to one of my kids to scan one day (seems much more likely). I don't want to lose them or be without them. I also would love for my kids to do what I still do at my mother's house: take down the boxes of photos and sift through them, remembering, laughing and smiling. Come to think of it, my mother never made scrapbooks or memory albums either. She tossed packets of photos in a drawer or box and still has them there. Maybe it's hereditary - or maybe, like me, she's just not a visually-oriented person. Then again, I've never thought she was the Worst Mom Ever, either. I am always thrilled to sift through and unearth the treasures that await me in her precious boxes.

So maybe I'll upload my photos to a memory stick and take them to Walgreens and have those Significant Milestones turned into pieces of colored paper. Then I'll stick them in a box, put them in the closet, shut the door and let them age a bit. By the time they are pulled out, sifted through, smiled over, laughed at and remembered, they will be Treasured Memories. I may even be in a few of them!


Do you make memory albums or scrapbooks or do you toss the photos in a box or file or drawer? Any particularly wonderful photos from your own Significant Milestones you would like to tell us about?Source URL: http://gbejadacosta.blogspot.com/search/label/Caren%20Crane
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June Has Something For YOU!!

by Caren Crane

Dearest Banditas, Buddies and friends we've just met, June promises to be all white knights, chocolates, white weddings, love songs and forget-me-nots around the Lair! Okay, maybe not that, but we do have a ton of happenings, contests and surprises to rave about so here goes:




June 2 - Popular Lair visitor Tiffany Clare is back to tell us about her third historical romance, The Secret Desires Of a Governess. Tiff is very generously giving away three copies of her latest book to people who comment. [I am all atwitter at the shades of Jane Eyre!]






June 3 - RITA winner Terri Garey returns to the lair to talk about her new “Devil’s Bargain” series, and the lure of “books that go bump in the night”! (Check out those abs on her cover!)






June 4 - It's going to be hot, HOT, HOT when Christie Kelley throws a release party for her steaming new Regency One Night Scandal! This is a party you won't want to miss. [I hope I can find a virtual designated driver!]







June 6 - Stefanie Sloane will be talking about the Young Corinthians and her second novel The Angel In Her Arms. [There is a book trailer on her website. Oh, my!]








June 7 - Jessica Andersen returns to the lair as Nancy's guest. June is the most popular wedding month, and Jessica will chat about favorite fictional weddings and the newest Nightkeepers novel, Storm Kissed. [Those lovely tattooed arms make me feel all stormy inside! *sigh*]





June 10 - Anna Campbell hosts debut historical romance author and regular lair visitor Karyn Gerrard. Karyn will be talking about her new book Timeless Heart and spreading the lurve with some giveaways. [We love new authors, especially when they are old friends!]





June 16 - Susan Gee Heino will return to the lair to talk about her July release Temptress In Training. [And wait until you find out who she is tempting...]






June 19 - Mega basketball fan Patricia Sargeant will join us as Regina Hart to tell us about her June release Fast Break, love 'n hoops and her fabulous Brooklyn Monarchs. [I can't wait for the hunky basketball heroes!]


BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!!


Every week in June, Christie Kelley will be giving away a signed copy of one of her five releases, including One Night Scandal. Just visit her website for more details and your chance to win!


Anna Campbell is holding a Hardback Heaven at Midnight Contest, open until 30th June. She’s giving away three signed copies of the beautiful hardcover Rhapsody Book Club edition of Midnight's Wild Passion. To enter, just email Anna on anna@annacampbell.info and tell her the name of the hero and heroine of Midnight's Wild Passion. For more information on the contest, please visit her website.


Be sure not to miss any of the fun. We promise to be here every day with something Wildly Interesting (or at least Moderately Stimulating, if not Downright Exciting) for you!Source URL: http://gbejadacosta.blogspot.com/search/label/Caren%20Crane
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Cabinet Envy

by Caren Crane


The green-eyed monster has visited me recently. This is something of an "occasion" in my life, for I rarely envy anyone for any reason. In the past few seasons, though, several friends (including our own lovely Susan Sey) have remodeled their kitchens. All the talk of new cabinet facings, countertops and flooring has made me look around at my own kitchen with a disparaging eye. Yes, friends, it happened to me: cabinet envy.



Our house was built in 1979 and I don't think the couple who built it were the cutting-edge types. When we moved in, the kitchen had wallpaper featuring partridges and fruit in shades of brown and mustard. Okay, it wasn't as bad as the wallpaper in this picture, but still very 1970s. The partridges are gone but the faux butcher-block countertops remain. The cabinets are dark-stained wood in a faintly Spanish style (though I changed out the dungeon-door pulls years ago). The vinyl flooring is the original: small squares in shades of brown, showing its 32 years of wear and tear. Everywhere my eyes rest, there is Work To Be Done.


I have daydreams of sparkling new flooring, sleek countertops and blond wood cabinets. The bathrooms need Major Work, as well. To be perfectly honest, I haven't touched the dining room or the guest room since we moved in, though everything else has at least had new paint. When we were younger, my husband and I would regularly take a week of vacation each year just to work on the house. That came to an end when we finally had enough money to take actual vacations, to which we quickly became addicted. Alas, poor house!

Since we will have an Empty Nest after next school year, I have been bitten and bitten hard by the Relocation Bug. We won't be able to sell our house, though, unless we first do some remodeling. So, the remodeling will get done, but then I won't be in the house to enjoy it. It's the most ironic sort of irony ever! Really, though, we are older now and lack the energy to keep up the 1.1-acre yard, the house and the *^%# swimming pool (that I never wanted!). I think it will be worth the money and effort to get rid of the house and buy something a bit smaller with no yard to speak of.

The kids are already whining about us selling the house (which won't happen for a few years, I'm sure), but my husband is on board. I thought he would fight it, but the prospect of not having to be lawn boy and pool boy both seems to have enticed him. (Here's one for the 'Raising Hope' fans - Burt the Flirt!)

What about you? Has the change of seasons made you restless and discontent with the status quo in your living space? Had a friend do a spiffy remodel that has you drooling on her granite countertop? Or have you already done the remodel and are now resting, contented, on your updated laurels? Oh, and I REALLY want to know if anyone has had to do updates in order to sell. I am your captive, so please tell me all!Source URL: http://gbejadacosta.blogspot.com/search/label/Caren%20Crane
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Welbourne Booty!

by Caren Crane

Thanks to everyone for participating in our "Friends To Lovers" discussion with the magnificent Deb Marlowe. The winner a copy of Deb's May release How to Marry a Rake is...JEANNE M!!

Congratulations, Jeanne! Please e-mail your full name and snail mail addy to Deb@DebMarlowe.com. Enjoy the wonderful Regency read!Source URL: http://gbejadacosta.blogspot.com/search/label/Caren%20Crane
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Deb Marlowe on Friends To Lovers

by Caren Crane

My darling Banditas and Buddies, I am thrilled to welcome one of my very favorite people (and authors), Deb Marlowe, back to the Lair. Welcome, Deb!

Thank you for having me. You know I love you and the Banditas!

Believe me, the love is entirely mutual. I am very excited about your May 1 release, How To Marry a Rake. Tell us a bit about the hero and heroine of this new Regency delight.

Stephen Manning is one of the Fitzmanning Miscellany, the scandalous Regency family introduced in The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor. He’s not the same rakish boy we saw growing up in the anthology. He’s had some hard knocks and has had to learn that the world doesn’t revolve around him, as many young men do. He’s spent the last few years building a racetrack on his mother’s destitute estate, and he’s come to Newmarket determined to set his tenants’ lives back on course by bringing it to the attention of the racing world.

Mae Halford has spent the intervening years abroad, mending her heart and broadening her horizons after Stephen’s rejection broke her heart. She’s in Newmarket, too, where her father is determined to find a stud for both his brood mare and his daughter. Mae’s ready to launch her Marriage Campaign, an effort to have a say in what sort of husband she ends up with. The last man on earth she wishes to see is Stephen—which makes it a certainty that he is the first one she bumps into!

Deb, Mae and Stephen have a long history together before the book begins. Was it just a deeply hidden sadistic streak that had you fling Mae and Stephen together again?

Would you be surprised if the answer was yes? :-) I think all writers have to have a sadistic streak. We create characters we love and admire and in whom we see such great potential for growth—but unless we put them in difficult and uncomfortable situations, then there is no spur for growth and change—or for the chance at true love!

It seems that Mae and Stephen had a serious falling out before she left England. Will Stephen find Mae much changed after her European tour?

Yes! In many interesting and frustrating ways. Mae has grown up. She's the same in that she knows her own mind, but she's learned how to be subtle in going after it. Also, she truly feels that she's over her feelings for Stephen. And he, being typically male, doesn't want her to want him, but is taken aback when she doesn't.

So tell me, is the theme of friends becoming lovers one you have wanted to explore? It was one I found most intriguing when I was a teenager and I find myself, here in my dotage, interested in it still. It seems being friends could both aid and hinder the development of a romance.

Friends to lovers is one of my very favorite themes. It's a classic fantasy, isn't it? I think many of us have an old friend we might wonder about, or think about in terms of what if? But it's also a theme that lends itself to greater and more immediate intimacy and one which can make for a rich, emotional story. The stakes are higher when someone knows all the scoop and scandal, strengths and weaknesses of your past, but I think the payoff can be that much bigger.

Do you have a bit of How To Marry a Rake you would care to share?

Well, if you insist...

Stephen was happy. She felt his contentment flow into her, warming her blood, crawling into her very sinews and bones. It was beautiful. It made her feel beautiful, and whole.

Her eyes slid closed. For long minutes she lost herself to the glory of the music and the moment. Stephen gave in to it as well; she could feel his surrender in the grip of his hands, in the intimate press of her legs to hers, and in the graceful, floating ease with which he guided them about the dance floor.

And that was when she knew she’d come full circle. Her campaign was forgotten, her plans and strategies left behind. Here she was, right back where she’d started, two years ago, wanting Stephen Manning with all of her heart.

Yet, thankfully, not everything remained the same. There were new levels to their friendship, their partnership. So easily had he come to share his victory with her tonight. So naturally had he assumed she would take part in the next step. He was the one who gifted her with appreciation and acceptance and passion and all the things she’d vowed to have in a husband.

Perhaps she needed a new campaign, with new strategies designed to win his heart. Because she longed for it, and for his unfathomable blue eyes and his maddening imperious ways and his warm acceptance and his heated kisses.

But there was one other thing that was different now, too. She wasn’t that young girl anymore, happy to accept whatever part of himself Stephen was willing or able to give. She wanted all of him. And no campaign of hers was going to be successful in flushing it out. She sighed. He had to choose to give it.

Oh, my! It sounds like Stephen won't stand a chance against the woman Mae has become. I do believe Mae will get her man! I hope everyone will run out and snap up a copy of How To Marry a Rake. Many of us have been waiting for the 'sibling' books to the The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor for ages! Deb, thank you so much for giving us the inside scoop on Stephen and Mae's book. (And here, for your delectation, is a dude Deb thinks should totally play Stephen in a movie version of How To Marry a Rake!)

Now, do you have a question you would like to pose to our Banditas and Buddies today?

But of course I do!

Do you guys have someone in your past who makes you go What If? Do you like friends-to-lovers-themed romances? Can you name a favorite "Friends to Lovers" couple? A randomly selected commenter will win a copy of How To Marry a Rake!

Ooh, we do love a giveaway! Deb, thank you so much for being with us today. I'm off to search my memory banks for my very favorite pair of Friends Who Discovered Benefits!Source URL: http://gbejadacosta.blogspot.com/search/label/Caren%20Crane
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None So Blind

by Caren Crane

Lately at the dreaded day job (henceforth known as the DDJ), I have had occasion to speak with (or about) a number of customers who claim they have no knowledge of a certain service in which their business was enrolled. A free service, mind you, and one which saves them money. Still, a small number are miffed they "didn't know" about it (intentional use of quote bunnies) and it made them see red!

Now, letters were sent. Two letters, as a matter of fact. Before the service was implemented, each of these customers was also called and, if they answered the phone, were asked if they knew about the service and if they wanted it. If no answer, a message was left. In any case, they received yet another letter when the service was activated. Still, they claim no knowledge.

Which has made me think that the old adage "there are none so blind as those who will not see" is certainly true. Now, at my house we don't answer the phone unless we can tell it is a person or business with whom we wish to speak. If it is a telemarketing firm or one of those anonymous phone numbers, we tend to let the machine pick it up. We figure those who really need or want to speak to us will leave a message. We listen to messages, though, so we can't claim we didn't know they called.

I vividly remember the days before cell phones and caller ID. Heck, I remember having a rotary dial phone. We picked up the phone when it rang. We had no e-mail or internet, so the mail was a major source of information. We read mail, even junk mail!

These days we are bombarded with information all day long: calls, texts, e-mail and advertisements on the TV, radio, billboards and even subliminally on our TiVos. I suppose it's no wonder customers are claiming they "don't know" about services, despite efforts to inform them. If they are anything like me, they don't want to know!

I'm about ready for another information vacation. Although it would mean missing things I love, like our fantastic blog or e-mail from my Banditas, I like to disconnect and give my brain a break sometimes. Not this weekend, though. I'm with you guys today, then my husband and I have to fill out a heinous financial aid form (the dreaded CSS Profile) for my older daughter on Sunday. I do have Monday off, though. Maybe I'll take a break then and do my favorite commercial-free activity: read a great book.

Are you ready for an information vacation? Ever find it hard to disconnect from your phone or computer? Had a bout of information overload recently? Ever go cold turkey (either on purpose or had it forced upon you)? I'd love to hear how you regain head space and reboot your brain!
__________________________________________________

We have an AHA Go Red for Women pin for one commenter today.

The healthy heart tip for today is: Instead of frying foods – which adds unnecessary fats and calories – use cooking methods that add little or no fat, like stir-frying, roasting, grilling or steaming.

And just in case you missed it...

Sign up for the Go Red Better U Program and receive two free romance e-books.

From Feb 1 through May 31, 2011, receive one free romance e-book when you sign up for the American Heart Association's Better U Program and one after you complete week six of the program. And look for the Eat Smart for Your Heart limited edition magazine (that features this offer) on newstands and in a grocery store near you.

Go Red for Women is trademarked by the American Heart Association, Inc. Romance novel downloads provided by Belle Books.Source URL: http://gbejadacosta.blogspot.com/search/label/Caren%20Crane
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Things We Love and Loathe

by Caren Crane

It's officially winter. Snow expected in the next few days, bitter cold wind blowing, bare trees and weak, pale sunshine. It's also time - okay, past time - to take down the Christmas decorations. I love to have them up and loathe taking them down. Which leads me to today's topic: Things We Love and Loathe.

These don't have to be big things, or even things that annoy or thrill others: just you. I'll give you some of my Loves and Loathes to kick things off:

LOVES

1. Baked Goods - Most all of them, really. I adore all of them, even if they're full of things I try to avoid, like white sugar, white flour and saturated fat. I especially love whole grain goodies, full of nuts and dried fruit and whatnot, but I also care greatly for their sinfully bad-for-you cousins. If it's baked, bring it on!


2. Warm Food on Cold Days - Chili, soup, casserole, pasta, oatmeal or a steaming bowl of grits. If it's warm and the temp outside is below 50 F, I want it!


3. Great Visual Entertainment - We stream so many Netflix movies and TV shows through our Roku that the poor thing should be paid overtime. The nice thing is, they have new content all the time! We watch it so much that we completely canceled our cable TV and got a digital antenna and receiver instead. Once we sign up for Hulu Plus, we'll be set for life!


4. Great Books - Whatever your preferred method of consumption - print or e-book, there is something out there for you. Again, new content all the time! A juicy read is a real find and something I savor like a fine wine.

LOATHES

1. Road Runners - Those annoying people who zip up merge lanes (or those that end in 100 ft) as if they are the only ones clever enough to have thought of doing it. Uh, no. Everyone else is simply courteous enough to go ahead and merge at the appropriate time. I also loathe the people who let the Road Runners merge after they pull this trick. By all means, encourage them!


2. Commercials - No matter how clever they are, I detest them popping up on TV and radio. All that video streaming and listening to non-commercial radio has ruined me! I want my entertainment uninterrupted. WORST OFFENDERS: Commercials AT THE MOVIE THEATER and, most recently, ON A DVD!! Quelle horreur!


3. Packaging - First off, most companies use far too much of it. Second, some of it is almost impenetrable. WORST OFFENDER: Those plastic containers molded around the product. There is no way to get them out short of a hacksaw or the jaws of life. Ack!

Okay, now it's your turn. Give us some of your loves and loathes. I'm always up for picking up a new bad habit and I love to reinforce someone that their pet peeve is really peeve-worthy. Bring them on!Source URL: http://gbejadacosta.blogspot.com/search/label/Caren%20Crane
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Harry Potter Rules the Future!

by Caren Crane

As some of you know, I have a high school senior this year. Most of my “free time” (snork) is spent nagging her about filling out college applications and scholarship applications. The remainder is spent searching for scholarships for which she is eligible to apply. This seems innocuous enough, but let me tell you friends, it is a sure path to madness. Most scholarships have stringent criteria applicants must meet. The few who meet them must then contort themselves to slither through a series of elaborate hoops in order to complete the application. After that, it’s months of nail biting, finger crossing and endless waiting.

The upside to the search is that there are some really amusing scholarships out there. My favorite is one sponsored by AntiqueTrader.tv called The Big Dig Scholarship. I decided for fun (and since I couldn't get my daughter interested in applying) that I would answer the questions that constitute the scholarship application here. Sorry to disappoint the sticklers, but no annotated bibliography is included. :)

1. What is the item you are going to bury?

A first American Collector’s Edition of the book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling.


2. Where could you purchase the item today?

This edition is currently available at Quill & Brush booksellers, accessible on the internet.


3. How much does the item cost?

The book is listed for $100.00 (though I saw it at another rare book dealer for about $250.00).

4. What made you choose this item?

The Harry Potter book series came to mind because of the recent release of the movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. It made me remember how much I enjoyed reading the books aloud to my daughters. By the time the last book was released, the girls were too old to tolerate being read to (though I was willing) and they read it on their own. I have seen every Harry Potter film when it was released in theaters and own them on DVD. Harry Potter has been part of my family’s life for the past 13 years, so it is no surprise the first book is a treasure I would bury in the backyard.

5. Why do you believe that the item will have immense value 200 years from now?

J.K. Rowling’s series of books about the Boy Who Lived and his friends at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry have made history as the fastest-selling books of all time. According to Reuters, the series of seven books has sold more than 400 million copies. That is frankly astonishing. The series spawned a series of major Hollywood films that have set box office records on their opening weekends. The series has been translated into 67 languages, so it is a global phenomenon. It has also inspired myriad spin-off books (both authorized and unauthorized), academic studies, spin-off movies, spin-off TV shows and more fan fiction than you can shake a stick at. It famously inspired A Very Potter Musical, which I heard about from my teenagers. It has been watched many, many times at our house both in full and in part, thanks to YouTube. (As a side bonus for Gleeks, the guy who plays Harry in the musical is none other than Darren Criss, who plays Kurt's mentor and possible love interest on Glee!)

Believe it or not, high schools and colleges now have Harry Potter Clubs. I know, because my daughters are in the one at their high school. Many of these clubs have Quidditch teams and, yes, one of my daughters is a Bludger on her school’s team. The girls are also planning to attend a Yule Ball that is being planned by the Harry Potter Club at another high school and fretting about what to wear. My younger daughter will be going on a combined-school Harry Potter Club trip in February to – you guessed it – The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort.

Harry Potter inspires maniacal fandom in both young people and adults. Those book release parties sponsored by local bookstores drew out a huge and varied throng of people, costumed and breathlessly waiting to buy their copy of the next installment at midnight. Yes, friends, they did this for books. I know of no other series of books that has swept the world and captivated all ages in such a, well, magical way. Harry Potter is more than a pop culture blip. I think he has permeated the global ether in a way that will be lasting and remembered for centuries to come. In 200 years, a first American Collector’s Edition of the first book in Harry’s tragic saga will be worth a bundle of money. I hope my heirs will cherish it and that it helps make their lives much more magical!


Isn’t this a fun game? I had a great time with it. So what would you bury for your family to dig up in 200 years, and why? If you just want to geek out and talk about Harry Potter (or Darren Criss), that’s okay, too.Source URL: http://gbejadacosta.blogspot.com/search/label/Caren%20Crane
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