Today is my sister Marie’s birthday.  Happy birthday, Marie!  No, I won’t tell you how old she is.  I learned long ago that you don’t ask a woman’s age, and you don’t tell if you know.

I picked up the first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, at the airport bookstore and finished it in my hotel this evening.  I know, I must be the last person in the world to have read the book.  So sue me.  It’s an excellent children’s book–not nearly as dark and scary as the movie (which I haven’t seen) apparently is.  It’s just a fun read.  I won’t say I’m a “fan,” but I can certainly understand why Harry Potter is so popular with children and adults.  Having read the book, I have no real desire to go see the movie.  Nobody’s going to turn me into a toad for that, are they?