What a care package!

It's always nice to get mail at camp. No matter how much fun you're having, you miss family and friends, so it's nice to know they're thinking of you. And it's really nice to get a care package with some goodies to make camp more fun.

Yesterday was really, REALLY nice! I got back to my cabin to find a package waiting for me, from Cassandra in Hinkypunks.

I wondered why Oscar was so interested in a care package for me, but that became obvious when I opened it. Not only did Cassandra send all sorts of lovely things for me, but she even remembered the VeryBadDogs!

Here's a better picture to let you see everything. I can't believe the dogs didn't notice I was taking this, but for once they stayed out of the way.

So, I get a kit for Potions class, to make some scented bath salts. Then there's a bonus Herbology project thrown in - yarn, needles, and a pattern for the Foliage hat. There are some buttons, including one that says "Mischief Managed" (Cassie has me pegged!) and a cute little bookmark that holds a photo.

Then there are these - some tiny little trial-size skeins of Harry Potter Opal yarn. I just love the mini skeins!

And I have to show you a picture of the pouch that holds the Potions ingredients - isn't it lovely? It's a little dark, but you can sort of see that the pouch is lined with the same funky fabric as is on the strap. I think it's handmade, although I'm not 100% sure - it's definitely beautiful work!

Thank you so much, Cassandra! Happy summer!

Iraqi Bundles of Love

There's one thing all of us here at camp have in common - and have in common with a lot of Muggles - we all love to knit, and perhaps do other crafts, too.

Now imagine what it would be like if you couldn't get yarn. Or needles, or fabric, or anything else you needed. It turns out there are a lot of Muggles in that situation.

And there's a man who's trying to help some of them. An American serviceman in Iraq is collecting boxes of sewing and knitting supplies to distribute to Iraqis who need them. Because he's in the military, it's really cheap to send a box of stuff to him, so it's easy to de-stash and get things in the hands of people who will use them.

You can read all about it here. I'm having so much fun getting things together for my friend in Hinkypunks, that I'm going to make another package, for someone I don't even know. If you want to do the same thing, Mr. IBOL Guy is happy to tell you how to do it.

Dining with the Muggles

I've heard that Muggles think some of our Wizard foods are kind of strange. I guess that's a little bit understandable, if they don't know, say, that there aren't any real frogs in Chocolate Frogs. And Every-Flavor-Beans are supposed to be weird, but maybe they don't like jokes with their food?

Or maybe they do. We were at the Indiana State Fair yesterday, and found all kinds of strange Muggle food.

Like corn dogs. It's not what you're afraid of - more like a sausage covered with dough. The corn-on-the-cob, though, was exactly what it claimed to be - and so good we couldn't take pictures, because our hands were covered with butter!

But what about this? This was a really bad idea. And a really bad pizza.

Or this? We didn't even try this. Muggle food usually doesn't move at all, but in this case I wonder if the pigs wallow around in the chocolate. If they do, then it sounds a lot like Chocolate Frogs - so it doesn't make sense for muggles to think our food is weird.

You know how Mr. Weasley says that Muggles have all sorts of clever substitutes for magic? That must be what they used here. I don't think this cake was enchanted at all, it's just really cleverly decorated.

But some things made me think Wizards might have been exhibiting at the Fair. Doesn't this look like it has to have been made by one of us?!?

Slow Days

The counselors remind me that it's been awhile since I've written anything here, like I'm supposed to. That's true, but it's because there hasn't been much to write. I've hardly had any time for fun camp activities, because of all this Muggle moving stuff. Here is how my day goes:

• Wake up. Way too early, because we don't have curtains yet.
• Get dressed. In something totally random, because we can't put away clothes until we paint the bedroom.
• Eat breakfast. Preferably something the ants haven't gotten.
• Open boxes and put stuff away.
• Move some heavy things - with no magic - to make more spaces to put stuff away.
• Eat lunch. Something random, because we've combined two pantries and have to finish open things. Once again, no conjuring something else.
• Open boxes and put stuff away.
• Eat dinner. Usually take-out, because we're tired of random open things and too tired to cook. Of course, we're also tired of take-out.
• Open boxes and put stuff away. Wonder what we've forgotten to move.

Throw in lots of dog-wrangling, and you have my day - any day. So there's nothing really exciting to report.

Tonight may not be so boring. We've been watching lightning for the past hour or so. The nearest storm is 100 miles away, so it's pretty amazing that we're getting such a show. I'm not sure if I'm hoping it gets closer or not!

Only One Chair

I've mentioned before that moving with Muggles is hard. You do it one thing at a time, for everything. All day. So you wind up spending some time without stuff you need, and you can't just conjure up replacements.

What happens when you have only one chair?

This.

The dogs love their new home. They've been running around checking out all the rooms, and just plain running around. They've already met some of the neighbors, and some of the neighbor dogs. I think they'll be quite happy.

Especially since they seem to get first dibs on all of the furniture. How does that happen, anyway?

Flying Without a Broom

Traveling with Muggles is an eye-opening experience. Once you're actually married to one, there are just all sorts of things you have to get used to. The Muggles even have a television program about a witch who married a Muggle, but - and this is the good part - they think it's all made up!

So Muggles, you know, don't fly. Well, they say they're "flying" - but they mean riding in an airplane, which is much, much slower than Apparating or using the Floo Network. But Muggles are ingenious at coming up with substitutes for magic. And since they never get to ride on brooms, they've found something else.


It's called parasailing!

The whole thing was very sweet. Aaron's uncle (it's all Muggles in his family, but they're nice Muggles) came up to him at the reception. He said that there was something he and Aaron's aunt had wanted to do for their honeymoon, but didn't because they were trying to save money, and they always regretted it. So he gave Aaron some muggle money, and told him that if we came across something silly that we really wanted to do, we should do it.

So this is what we found - Muggle flying! I hope I'm not losing my Wizardy credentials for saying this, but it was really very fun. Keeping the International Statutes on Magical Secrecy might not be so bad, after all.

Games, Week 5, Part I

Wow, this week's game is tricky. With moving and all, I don't know how much time I'll have to play. But I'll do my best.

Part I:

Fill in the answers to the clues by using all the syllables in the Syllable list. The number of syllables to be used in each answer is shown in parenthese. There may be more than one word in an answer. The number of leters in each answer is indicated by the dashes. Each syllable will be used only once. ONE (1) point will be awarded for each correct answer posted to your blog.

---

SYLLABLE LIST

---

1. Man or mouse? (4) AN/I/MA/GUS

2. Start spreading the news (4) DAI/LY PROPH/ET

3. Stick Tree Guardian (3) BOW/TRUCK/LE

4. Telescoping eavesdropper (5) EX/ TEND/A/BLE EAR

5. Brassicaceae danglers (4) RAD/ISH EAR/RINGS

6. Prohibited Ggowth of trees (5) FOR/BID/DEN FOR/EST

7. Metallic rosy-faced child with wings (4) GOL/DEN CHER/UB

8. Fleshless black-winged skeleton (2) THES/TRAL

9. Lofty philosopher (5) HIGH IN/QUI/SI/TOR

10. Instructive Order (7) ED/U/CA/TION/AL DE/CREE