Bookstores around the globe are preparing for the July 21 midnight release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the final book in J.K. Rowling’s infamous series. We’ve all heard of the late-night extravaganzas at chain retailers like Barnes & Noble and Borders, but our local independent bookstores have events of their own planned. Brian Woodbury and Regina Barnes manage the Toadstool Bookshop in Milford, where previous Harry Potter releases have had people lining up at 9 p.m.

I’ll admit, I was a little worried about what I was in for during the opening scene of The Wiz at the Majestic Theatre in Manchester Saturday, July 14. It started slow. Aunt Em seemed unsure of her lines. In retrospect, the havoc was probably due to the dog that wasn’t very interested in playing Toto. I relaxed as soon as Maria Johnson (Aunt Em) started singing “The Feeling We Once Had,” with ease and style. The show just got better. Bobby Mercier, who played the Scarecrow, is an incredibly talented hip hop dancer.

When presidential candidate Barack Obama stopped at the Peterborough Diner recently, he added a slice of blueberry pie to his photo op.

The Live Free or Die state is known for its blueberries — and luckily for those of us who live here, while the season is short, it certainly is sweet. Locally, there are more than a dozen pick-your-own farms that let you get down and dirty with the berry bushes. Or visit your local farmers’ market and be sure to check specials at local restaurants and bakeries, where over the next few weeks, blueberries are likely to be the focus of many dishes, sweet and savory.

Since we’re in the midst of what used to be the greatest time of the year for me during the greatest time of my life — summer vacation — I’ve been thinking about the olden days. Like most from my pre-historic age group, I was on my own a lot more during summer vacation than kids now, where for many it’s camps and organized activities all day long. For me and my friends it was playing baseball from 9 a.m. until dinner with a break for lunch. It was the greatest.

How many screens does one house really need?

Televisions are a staple in nearly every American household, and increasingly, computers are too. Newer and better PCs come with newer and better monitors, while flat-panel high-definition TVs are gracing more and more walls. It’s reasonable to wonder if maybe you couldn’t consolidate a little.

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