Tolkien Blog Party 2024 || My Tag Answers

Squeaking in under the wire, but very happy to answer Rachel's lovely tag questions for her (12th!!!!) annual Tolkien blog party. (Which great party you can find here.)

~ Tolkien Blog Party Tag ~

1. The Shire: What place in Middle-earth do you think would feel the most like home for you? 

The Shire is, of course, very much the homiest thing ever, but, other than that, Ithilien. I'm very much an Ithilien girl. ;)

2. Bree: If you could create a Middle-earth-themed restaurant, what would you serve there?

Oh boy... so many choices. Well, while hosting (and helping with) some largish events in this last week (we're in the midst of a crazy 10 days or so here -- it's all been absolutely lovely, but just one thing after the next)... Anyway, in the midst of all that, I realized I literally feel like I can identify very closely with Barliman Butterbur and his inn at Bree. XD 

But that doesn't narrow down cuisine, so putting that aside, hmmm....

Cranberry-orange cider for our event last Saturday --
definitely very Shire-ish

Home atmosphere wise, I do want to create a combination of Shire hospitality and Rivendell, but also.... Tom Bombadil's house has always -- always -- intrigued me. And I love the menu -- the bread and cheese and honeycomb and berries... and the clear water, heady as wine. Not sure exactly how you would encapsulate all that in a restaurant, but it kind of reminds me of what I've heard regarding (simple) French cuisine. So maybe some basics like the above (bread, wine, cheese, honey, cream, and berries), and maybe some light soups, changing with the seasons + pastries or something? I do like baking (and eating) pastries.

3. Rivendell: Where in Middle-earth would you like to hang out with your friends for a week or so?

Rohan, with its wide spreading land bounded by mountains. And either when it's green and rippling with thick fresh grass, or when the snow flies and that same grass is all crunchy with frost underfoot.

4. Moria: Have you ever delved into the history of Middle-earth (or the history of Tolkien's creative process)? If so, did you learn anything cool you'd like to share?

I have delved into various things over the years. It's been awhile, but I do remember doing a deep-ish dive and finding out some interesting things re his women characters. I wasn't able to encapsulate everything, but I did write down a bunch of subsequent thoughts here. (Don't take it all as my final opinion on the subject, but I do still find everything I touched on in there fascinating. And again, not that Tolkien did any of it on purpose. I just think one could make an argument that his imagination was saturated with certain imagery.)

5. Lothlorien: Would you like to sleep in a tree?

The idea sounds marvelous, but in reality I probably wouldn't get a great night's sleep. 😅

6. Edoras: Do you like horses?

Yes. I am worried they make me sneeze (though also hoping that's just the hay 😂). But yes, I love horses. <3

One of the gorgeous animals at our local draft horse show

7. Minas Tirith: Have you ever dressed as a Tolkien character, whether for a convention or Halloween or anything else? (Bonus fake internet points if you share a photo!)

No, haven't done that.

Tempting display of succulents at our local greenhouse
-- something about it just made me think of LOTR

8. Erebor: Do you have any Middle-earth merchandise you particularly treasure?

I have quite a few wooden wall hangings with quotes. One favorite is our "I'm looking for someone to share in an adventure" one. We've created a family tradition of pulling it out and hanging it on the doorknob on days we're planning to do something new and exciting. We don't remember to pull it out all the time, but it's a lot of fun.

The actual sign and door

9. Mordor: Have you ever read anything by Tolkien that wasn't about Middle-earth?

Yes! Farmer Giles of Ham (multiple times) and, it's not quite the same, but I'm also a fan of his translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, etc.

10. The Grey Havens: How long has it been since you last ventured into Middle-earth via book or film?

Far too long. I have the aforementioned wall hangings up around the house, but since I actually delved into LOTR properly... I think it's been a couple years actually.

~     ~     ~

Thanks again so much for the tag, Rachel -- they were great questions and most enjoyable to fill out! :)

First wedding pictures!

(Photos by my talented friend Kezia of Step Up Photography.

Also, some of these are indeed running over into the sidebar again on purpose as I thought you'd all like to see them a wee bit better.)

The last month has been most entirely splendid (married life is simply lovely) and there's so much to tell -- so many adventures and plans and exciting happenings and projects (not to mention words) bubbling over to be shared. :) Such wonderfulness!

I can't wait to hear from you all!

June Happenings and Delights!

Reveling in deep green against blue skies.

Moving house and getting my new writing area set up—photo calendar, character sketches and all complete!

Carrying armloads of plates and pantry items and all the extra (highly important) odds and ends needing new homes.

Working in our brand new kitchen!

Sleeping with the windows open.

Wading in the deliciously cool creek after chores.

My garden a wildflower patch of Queen Anne’s Lace and my favorite blue chicory and a few Bachelor’s Buttons.

Brilliant orange daylilies.

Grandparents coming a-visiting.

A new calf.

Elastic hair bands advertised to last up to 145 ponytails.

Helping out at a church friend’s wedding: baking cookies and helping with reception preparations and running errands. (Note to self: don’t steam chiffon bridesmaids dresses under a smoke detector. The fire department may very well show up in the hall outside. :))

Watching Beauty and the Beast.

Listening to soundtracks: Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella (2015), and Ever After (which I haven’t seen and which is high on my TBW list).

Writing David’s Shoulders.

Shining new ideas for a Sleeping Beauty retelling; then hitting my head against the wall with frustration over them; then starting to write and regaining the shining-ness.

A marvelous church summer dance and conference.

Two close friends announcing their engagements—within two days of each other. (I’m so thrilled!)

Getting a Pinterest account. I've already started three boards and it's going to be SO fun.

Rearranging bookshelves.

And shifting piles and piles and piles of books from the old attic to the new basement and stacking them—now patiently waiting—for fresh paint to dry on the shelves.

Still mulling over this excellent post—The Only Thing You Need to Know About Writing Strong Female Characters.

And laughing over this one—16 Things You Need to Know About Dating a Girl Who Writes.

And enjoying Kaycee’s spot-on defense of Frozen’s Anna here.

Trying to implement this quote in my own life both on and offline: “Maud was of the class whose education consists mainly of a training in the delicate ignoring of delicate situations.” 

P.G. Wodehouse, A Damsel in Distress 

(Hard for this girl who loves confronting everything head on, but sometimes it’s simply the wisest course.)

And last (but most CERTAINLY not least!) watching the 90’s Zorro tv show! This is truly embarrassing, but at first I admit I was just going, “It’s okay. Very 90’s. But pretty good....” Then we hit certain episodes and I melted to a thousand pieces. I’m crazy about it! The theme song and—and—and—well, let’s just say it’s safer to leave any more for a future discussion. I LOVE IT and can’t get enough!

And there were other things this last month, too. Lots of conversations—lots of emotional growth. In all of it, even though I have no idea where my squiggled path will end up—or who else’s path it may happen to run across—I can truly say that God’s plans are always deep and right. I’m so thankful for the friends He has given me—and so amazed by the joy He has poured out.

It’s been a full month and wondrously good!

Tell me! Do you have any highlights to share from the last month?

Blue & Green and Some Happinesses of May

Following is one of my favorite short children’s poems. It was going through my head again a couple days ago as I was doing chores and looking up at the nearest thorny locust trees just unfurling their ferny fronds in the early sunset. I love those trees… (the leaves, not the thorns). Sometimes they look like something from a picture in Africa—or a South American jungle—and it’s such a pleasure to have them in our own backyard! Anyhow, they inspired me to run in and bring out my camera—and here, too, is the poem:

"I'm glad the sky is painted blue

And the earth is painted green

With such a lot of nice fresh air

All sandwiched in between."

~ Author unknown ~

And some of the Maytime happinesses I'm having…

Driving roads thick with living, early summer green while running errands.

My rosebush blooming, deep pink and fragrant.

Hot pink geraniums in a hanging pot.

A wonderful, long, heart-to-heart phone call, and encouraging emails with patient and loving friends.

Watching the old Buccaneers tv show with my family.

Starting a book I’ve never read before on the recommendation of another friend.

Dreaming of mountains and wide open spaces.

Pictures of turquoise water:

This quote from C.S. Lewis yet again:

“Joy is distinct not only from pleasure in general but even from aesthetic pleasure. It must have the stab, the pang, the inconsolable longing.”

Pondering and clinging to this verse from Zephaniah: “The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

Good dark coffee in the mornings and Oolong tea.

Listening to good music while washing dishes:

And this just makes me smile...

What are some of your favorite Maytime delights?

Literary Heroines Blog Party - 2015

It’s the time of the Literary Heroines Blog Party once again! Life is pretty full at the moment (as it ever is!), but this is a gala occasion. During the 2014 party I met several people for the first time whom I have since been blessed to begin building wonderful and encouraging friendships with and, hence, I felt the time should most certainly be marked in a celebratory fashion. :) So here are my tag answers for 2015…

And Kellie, thanks so much for hosting—your lovely party is such a highlight of the year!

~ The Questions ~

1. Introduce yourself! Divulge your life's vision, likes, dislikes, aspirations, or something completely random! ~ As a daughter and sister, loving to read and write—with a passion for masterfully crafted story—my greatest desire is to one day (Lord willing) be a wife, mother, and author simultaneously. I find history fascinating; and I love zoos and studying the geography of the world. I love the color blue—French blue, turquoise, periwinkle and sapphire. I love some far-flung places and I love where I live. I love and am thankful for my wonderful family and for my dear friends (new and old)! Most of all I dearly love and am thankful to the One who has bought me—body and soul—claiming me as His own. 

2. What, to you, forms the essence of a true heroine? ~ Feminine and gracious, she is clear-eyed, but genuinely charitable. She loves much. She is comfortable leaving time and silence to ripen her words. She faces her faults and weaknesses—and is known for her discretion, fortitude, perseverance, honesty, strength, and forgiveness.

3. Share (up to) four heroines of literature that you most admire and relate to. ~ 

Margaret Hale – For how she strives and perseveres–and for how she learns to rest

Anne Shirley – Because she’s Anne…

Emma – This is a fairly new one (over the past year), but I realized what a true heroine she is as she learns from and faces up to her faults

Theria (The Perilous Seat by Caroline Dale Snedeker) – For her—in a sense—clarity of vision and steadfastness of soul

4. Five of your favorite historical novels? ~ Heart of Darkness by Josef Conrad, North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell, Persuasion by Jane Austen, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, and The Armourer’s House by Rosemary Sutcliff.

5. Out of those five books who is your favorite main character and why? ~ Margaret Hale. (Along with Anne Elliot in Persuasion) she’s one of my greatest heroines. (I’ve shared a good bit about her struggles and challenges and why I love her and her story so much here.) 

6. Out of those five books who is your favorite secondary character and why? ~ Oh dear… How did I manage to get Thornton and Wentworth and Rochester all mixed up in the same question? Thornton, definitely Mr. Thornton—with Captain Wentworth running a close second.

7. If you were to plan out your dream vacation, where would you travel to - and what would you plan to do there? ~ I was able to go on it (again!) this last summer. :) The Black Hills, the Badlands, Wyoming, Yellowstone…the Tetons! I had a marvelous, marvelous time traveling with cousins—and I was able to soak up and breathe in story atmosphere so that I can feel it still growing and running out my fingertips.

I’d also love to see the Colorado mountains and Wyoming in spring someday. And, of course, there’s always India and the Taj Mahal. That would be pretty incredible, too.

8. What is your favorite time period and culture to read about? ~ In fiction the 1800’s. In non-fiction ancient Egypt.

9. You have been invited to perform at the local charity concert. Singing, comedy, recitation - what is your act comprised of? ~ I would love to do some sort of ballet number, but I haven’t done it in public for awhile, so probably something on the piano or fiddle.

10. If you were to attend a party where each guest was to portray a heroine of literature, who would you select to represent? ~ Lizzy Bennet. :)

11. What are your sentiments on the subject of chocolate? ~ 90% dark with a glass of milk…the perfect writing pick-me-up!

12. Favorite author(s)? ~ Jane Austen, Josef Conrad, Edmund Spenser, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Caroline Dale Snedeker, J.R.R. Tolkien, John Buchan, C.S. Lewis, P.G. Wodehouse, G.K. Chesterton, B.J. Chute, Charles W. Whistler, the Brontë sisters, Elizabeth Gaskell, Louisa May Alcott, L.M. Montgomery, Rosemary Sutcliff, Dickens…you get the idea. :)

13. Besides essentials, what would you take on a visiting voyage to a foreign land? ~ My camera! (or is that an essential?) and my butterfly identification guide. Someday I’d love to see some of the tropical Mexican and South American species.

14. In which century were most of the books you read written? ~ The 19th (though the 20th runs a very close second).

15. In your opinion, the ultimate hero in literature is… ~ Last year’s selection holds true, but to mix it up a little (and since he was already mentioned above):

Mr. Thornton

And also (new to this last year!):

Flynn Rider/Eugene (…he’s hemi-demi-semi literary, isn’t he? ;))

16. Describe your ideal dwelling place. ~ There are so many wonderful places I don’t know that I can make up my mind. But I do love an airy feel with light tones or honey colored woodwork. And to be quite comfortable, there would be plenty of books about (and pictures) and some plants outside—especially roses and basil and garlic and peonies. 

17. Sum up your fashion style in a short sentence. ~ Comfortable, feminine, utilitarian, and oft-times historically inspired.

18. Have you ever wanted to change a character’s name? ~ Yes, actually. Valancy’s in Montgomery’s Blue Castle. It really trips you up, but then it’s supposed to…and I’m not sure what a good alternative would be…and, ultimately, I love the story to bits regardless!

19. In your opinion, the most dastardly villain of all literature is... ~ A recent selection from this past year: Jape Waltzer in Peace Like a River. It’s a coming-of-age story—and he’s not even exactly the ultimate ‘villain’ of the piece—but he is wicked, unsettling, unpleasant, and a bit disturbing.

20. Three favorite non-fiction books? ~ Job: A Son for Glory by Toby Sumpter, The Christian Imagination edited by Leland Ryken, and Pharaohs and Kings by David M. Rohl.

21. Your duties met for the day, how would you choose to spend a carefree summer afternoon? ~ Writing!

22. Create a verbal sketch of your dream hat - in such a way as will best portray your true character. ~ I’m not a tremendous hat person (though I do tend to wear stocking hats almost all day in the winter and occasionally baseball hats when necessary outdoors in the summer), but I do love wearing cowls and scarves. And, of course, in films I love bonnets of all shapes and sizes! ;)

23. Share the most significant event(s) that have marked your life in the past year. ~ It’s been an incredibly full year, but one of the hugest happenings was my amazing trip west last summer. A second is in seeing how much my writing is expanding and changing. I’ve learned a lot, and I’ve read and seen some things that have helped me sort out my current work in progress—setting it on fire. It’s somersaulted tremendously from what it was a year ago and I’m thrilled through with the excitement of it. It’s also been a tremendous year of growth and changes—changes in building new and old friendships. There have been difficult times and moments throughout, but overall it’s been a great and weighty blessing.

24. Share the Bible passage(s) that have been most inspiring to you recently. ~ Psalm 21. I was thinking particularly of how it fits with all the ones before it (particularly Psalms 2 and 18) and just before Psalm 22. Viewing it through the lens of its ultimate fulfillment in Christ—our suffering King—it’s stunning!

“The King shall have joy in Your strength, O Lord;

And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!

You have given him his heart’s desire,

And have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah

For You meet him with the blessings of goodness;

You set a crown of pure gold upon his head.

He asked life from You, and You gave it to him—

Length of days forever and ever.

His glory is great in Your salvation;

Honor and majesty You have placed upon him.

For You have made him most blessed forever;

You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence.

For the king trusts in the Lord,

And through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved…”

Psalm 21:1-7