Fillyjonk's progress: And "mischief managed"

It's Harry Potter weekend on "Freeform." I like that; I have the movies going in the background while I go about other things - had part of "Sorcerer's Stone" going while I did the Sunday School lesson. And I confess: I like the earlier movies, before the real force of evil and the obvious fact that many would sacrifice themselves in fighting it appeared, and when the "kids" were younger. I suspect one of the reasons Harry Potter is so popular is the idea of "belonging" - you get sorted into a house, and the people there (at least from what we see of Gryffindor) become fast friends - and for some people, like Hermione, who don't come from wizarding families, it's maybe the first place they felt they fit in.

Hm. Kind of like prep school for me - it really was the first place, or at least the first place since about third grade, that I felt I fit in.

Anyway. I did my necessary tasks (Sunday school lesson, taking some data on my little plants, preparing communion for tomorrow) and then ran down to Sherman for some shopping.

I found out yesterday that CPAAG **IS** doing the card exchange again, so I had fun getting amusing cards for that (Including one that made me laugh a lot, and I bought several, because I want to send it to other people as well). And I bought a few little bitty gifts, and a "joint gift" to my parents, even though I have individual gifts for them - it is a large nice calendar of scenes from Ireland, and both my parents (my father more than my mother) have Irish heritage, and I know they like having a good big calendar next to the front door so they can keep track of things like meetings and appointments.

Buying gifts makes me happier than buying stuff for myself. (I hope that's not a humblebrag but it is true)

I also bought my toy to donate to Toys for Tots - I do this every year, I buy a toy that my brother or I would have enjoyed as a kid and donate it. This year, I got one of the big "Chubby Puppies" - these are battery powered dogs that kind of waddle all over the floor when they are turned on. (I got a pug dog, it was the cutest one).

I did buy a few things for myself - the knew UK Simply Knitting, some of the expensive-but-good shampoo and conditioner I use (they are coconut based; the natural-foods store is the only place that I know that has it). And these:

Yup! Five Below had the Rarity and Luna ornaments. Now the only one of the Mane Six I lack is Applejack, and I don't know that they've made one of her. (Maybe next year, if Pony is still on the air, it will be her and Celestia?) They also had Rainbow Dash and a new-style Fluttershy but I already have RD and my Fluttershy is more important to me because she was a gift.

And, why not, here's a photo of the tree as a whole: