LOWCW 2026 || My Tag Answers

My tag answers are below. :)

Tag rules: List a character for each role below (also including the name of the film). Elaborate as you like! (They don't have to be your favorite or even the main character, just someone / a role you found memorable.)

Legends of Western Cinema Week Tag 2026

1. Cavalryman – Captain Nathan Brittles in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. (An old review, but yes, I still love it.)

2. Stagecoach driver – Ok, so it’s not quite a stage, but Yul Brynner's character driving the hearse with Steve McQueen riding shotgun in the opening scenes of The Magnificent Seven. One of the best scenes ever.

3. Doctor – Doc Boone in Stagecoach.

4. Judge – Harry Morgan's Justice of the Peace (and sheriff... and barber...) in The Apple Dumpling Gang.

5. Sheriff – I was going to say Henry Fonda's character, Morg, in The Tin Star, but technically, he's a deputy, so I'll say his co-star in the film, Anthony Perkins as Sheriff Ben Owens. 

6. Cowboy – Kevin Costner as Charley Waite in Open Range.

7. Homesteader – In terms of characters I’ve thought about for years (and still can’t quite make up my mind about)... Penny in the original 1947 or Temperance in the 2009 remake of Angel and the Badman.

8. Gambler – It's a tie between...

Doc Holliday in Tombstone

and Feathers in Rio Bravo. 

🤷‍♀️

9. Native American – It's set nowadays, but Officer Mathias (Zahn McClarnon) in Longmire. 

10. Outlaw – Ok, he’s not exactly an outlaw (seeing as he got released for time served), but the psychological power of the villain in High Noon is pretty unmatched.

11. Storekeeper – Glenn Ford as George Temple in The Fastest Gun Alive.

12. Schoolteacher – Another character I'm pondering to this day is Molly Stark in The Virginian (the 2000 adaptation specifically). Hopefully I'll sort out my thoughts some day and be able to do a review. ;)

So there you have it! I'd love to hear your thoughts on any of the above and also which characters you'd choose. :)

Legends of Western Cinema Week || My Tag Answers

Time to do my tag answers!

And I have no idea how I'm gonna narrow this down. So many titles could fit in one or more categories, so we'll just go entirely off my fleeting thoughts and feelings in this very fleeting present moment. xD

Shall we?

Here goes!

Legends of Western Cinema Week Tag 2025

Share one or more movies / shows / stories for each prompt:

1) Cliff -- a tense cliffhanger -- Stagecoach (1939)

The ending... *chef's kiss* justly and absolutely deserves its great status.

2) Gulch -- a cool ambush scene -- Shadow on the Mesa (2013)

It's been so long since I've seen this... but I definitely remember this ambush-y scene in the willow bottoms midway through the film. Always felt unique to me.

3) Canyon -- a big gunfight -- Tombstone (1993) 

I know there are fierce debates about its historicity etc., but de famous gunfight in the middle there is Epic.

4) Mountains -- high stakes -- Rawhide (1951) 

This noir-ish classic with Tyrone Power and Susan Hayward has the most terrifying stakes I think of anything I've ever seen. It all ends happily, but I still haven't hardly been able to rewatch it.

5) Valley -- a beautiful romance -- The Fastest Gun Alive (1956) 

Ok. So I had a whole bunch of ideas for this one. (Open Range was my first choice, but it's needed elsewhere... ;)) But then I got thinking how this one would be really neat in the spot as well. It's the ongoing part of romance. The Ever After with life companions who actually know and understand what's really going on with each other, who go through the rough things together, and who ultimately face up to things rather than running.

6) Desert -- a suspenseful plot -- Silverado (1985) 

Silverado keeps you guessing. Never know exactly what'll happen next! XD

7) Forest -- themes about renewal -- Open Range (2003) 

There were quite a few in the runner up for this nomination -- which made me realize how common this thread is in westerns period and why I love both it and them so much -- but yes, Open Range won the day. The hard things happen, but through them all a new leaf is being turned, and in the end it's so genuinely sweet and gentle and hopeful and real.

8) River -- traveling to a new home -- Apple Dumpling Gang (1975) 

From the first moment that stage comes rocketing into view in the beginning till its determinedly unruffled ending, Apple Dumpling is all about finding a place to belong.

9) Plains -- characters who are farmers -- The Westerner (1940)

Whenever the category comes up, this is always the first one that comes to mind. Always interesting to see Gary Cooper in such a young role too.

10) Mesa -- an animal central to the story -- The Tin Star (1957) 

I wanted to say Silverado (as the whole pajama duel over the horse is quite the inciting incident), but we'll go with this one as the horses here (particularly Kip's) do play an even more major role in essential plot points. (And yes, this one could work for the romance heading as well. Obviously. ;))

There you have it! Have you seen and loved any of these as well?

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! :)

LOWCW 2024 || My tag answers

A few of the following are top favorites, others are ones I don't often mention so thought it'd be fun to mix them in. Figuring out what to put where was unexpectedly challenging!

Legends of Western Cinema Week Tag 2024 Edition

~ Cozy ~

Ok, so this one wasn't challenging, just... the obvious choice. (Though it also fits into numerous other prompts below, so the trick was in figuring out which other titles to use for those. xD) Packed with adventure, Apple Dumpling Gang has to be the #1 family friendly, coziest, comfiest western of all time. <3 (Popping it into the dvd player as we speak to enjoy it with the Small Person while I type up the rest of my answers. ;D)

~ Gritty ~

Considered quite a few for this one, but we'll just go with The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly.

~ Serious ~

I've only seen The Gunfighter (1950) once, but it made quite the impression.

~ Comedic ~

With real stakes and numerous poignant moments, Silverado (1985), isn't just a comedy. That said, just thinking of certain scenes is enough to tickle my funny bone, so... into this slot it goes.

(I'm also in a Maverick mode, but that has some less family friendly parts.)

~ Romantic ~

Angel and the Badman

Either version.

(Though fyi, this one does have a skippable bit.)

~ Lively ~

The Lone Ranger (2011). The why should be pretty clear.

~ Unpredictable ~

Since I'm still dealing with Emotions from this one... The Rare Breed (1966).

~ Hopeful ~

There's a lot of struggle and heartache throughout, but I find Open Range beautifully hopeful... in more ways than one.

~ Joyful ~

Ok, so differentiating 'joyful' from 'bubbly happiness' in this context, and if joy must have undercurrents of longing and satisfaction, than Stagecoach (1939). An archetype of its kind, it also just has to have a place in our answers here somewhere. <333 ;)

~ Adventurous ~

If 'adventurous' is to be "inclined or willing to incur hazard or engage in adventures; bold to encounter danger; daring; venturesome; courageous; enterprising" (Century Dictionary) then... well, Mag7 does absolutely fit the bill here, but to mix it up a bit I'll say Wanted: Dead or Alive.

~

Whew, all those questions were way trickier than I envisioned! 🫣

Now I'm off to load the dishwasher so hopefully my buddy and I can work on the above jigsaw puzzle this evening. (Got it around last Christmas and hoping to make it part of our annual LOWCW festivities. :))

My giveaway is still open through tonight here, so be sure to enter that if you're interested!

Sunshine Blogger Award || March Edition

Way back in August, I was tagged by Lizzie Hexam of Starlight & Saucepans with the Sunshine Blogger Award (thank you, Lizzie! :)) and she's came up with some really original questions. So let us to it.

You have the opportunity to invite over a fictional character for a day and show him/her around your neighborhood. Which character do you choose?

There are so many I want to choose! But... today we'll go with Chloé from Caroline Dale Snedeker's Forgotten Daughter (which has finally been able to be reprinted by Bethlehem Books!). (Note: the artwork doesn't look like at all like the hardcover edition of Chloé I grew up with ;/ *boo*, but I'm still excited it's now more widely available.)

What kind of weather do you like best? What weather makes you happiest/saddest?

I love the relief and contemplative feel of a clear fall day after a hot summer (or, most of all, a more temperate summer day in the high mountains). For the deep down thrill, probably a sunny day in spring. A heavy gray day (not raining) does kind of drag things down a bit sometimes. 

If you had to move to a foreign country, which one would it be?

I like the "had to" wording, because I really do love where I am. That said... oh boy. There are so many different places that would be amazing to see. But for practical, everyday living, I love the idea of somewhere in the French countryside... the slow living of going to the bakery for daily bread, lots of cheese around, a potager garden, and a few roses. It's very similar to the rhythms we tend to have in our home as is, so seems like it would be a natural fit. (Says the woman working really hard to create those relaxed rhythms... In all seriousness, it is very much how we generally operate, just still working on making it look as poetic as it sounds. xD)

A functional time-machine has just been invented! You can go to any time and place in the past that you like. When and where do you go?

Ancient time periods aside (total choice paralysis there, so don't know how I'd even begin to choose), anywhere in the Edwardian period: England... India... even New York. It's been my favorite time period since I was little.

You get to choose one book to be perfectly adapted into a movie/mini-series/TV show/musical. Which book do you choose, and which kind of adaption do you think it would work best as?

Persuasion. (I'm fairly happy with the available versions, but definitely wouldn't turn down the opportunity to do it perfectly). Mansfield Park would be a runner up. Both as films or mini-series. 

Do you prefer pens or pencils?

Pens.

What’s your favorite genre of music?

I listen to a smattering of different genres, but have particularly been enjoying orchestral music lately. (I watch a lot of ballet so the two go hand in hand for me. ;))

Do you use bookmarks? If so, do you use actual, nice-looking bookmarks, or do you just grab the nearest small flat object and use that?

50/50. I like nice bookmarks (and have a large collection), but they're not always to hand so I end up using ragged strips of paper. That said, I have long had a strong aversion to using anything thicker than said pieces of paper (in fact, if an innocent person inadvertently uses some such thing in my presence... well, let's just say unfortunate drama may ensue. *face palm*)

What kind of aesethetic do you/would you like to decorate your home?

Rustic lodge style. <3

Suppose you had the opportunity to do a good deed, but knew beforehand that it would fail and be misinterpreted. Would you still do it or not?

Well, I hate hate confusion and misinterpretation (one of the areas where I need to learn to rest, as such uncertainties are part of our fallen world; it's still just really stressful sometimes), but if the good deed was going to succeed in spite of the misunderstanding, I should hope I'd be strong enough to do it anyway. I would say the focus is to have our eyes on Christ, determining from His word what He's commanded us to do (i.e. show love and kindness, etc. and what that love and kindness should look like in a given situation). Good deeds are like planting seeds and we often won't know how fruitful or effective they are anyway till years in the future sometimes. (In some cases, maybe not till the resurrection.) And doing a good deed always bears witness to our King, no matter how it's taken on the other person's part. (Not that we go in like a bulldozer, wisdom is paramount, of course.) I'm just saying that, because we're doing it as unto our King, however it appears in the moment, we can know it hasn't really failed and will bear some sort of eternal fruit. 

That said, we don't want to be sanctimonious and obnoxious. That's not showing real charity and love.

So yeah, tough question, and sorry if I strayed into the weeds in my answer.

Which form of art do you think is inherently the most expressive: music, literature, or art?

Ooh! Hard one!! (Can I  opt out and say dance?) 

Hmm... When done with skill, I genuinely think all three are about equal. (As a writer, I was going to say writing is harder to actually capture the essence of the beautiful thing in your mind you're trying to express in the first place, but then realized the same could be equally said of the other two.)

I think... if push came to shove, because of how it more easily connects with the intended audience, I'd have to say music, in the end. But as far as value to the artist and the creative process itself (i.e. exhilaration of creation and frustration in honing the chosen craft), I consider all three equal. 

~

Thanks again for the tag, Lizzie!

Tolkien Blog Party Week Tag 2023

Eeeeek..... So our August and September has been jam packed with all sorts of jollity (family visits, county fair time, gallivanting round a couple of states on a mountain-y western adventure -- including also some expansive wilderness terrain filled with junipers + just miles of long-running road through wide open spaces); and also dentist visits, co-op starting, etc. AND the little princess and I stayed out super late last night with my mother-in-law at our local draft horse show, which was stunning as always. Anyhow, all that to say, apologies in advance as my brain is simultaneously hyper and exhausted, but it was also Hamlette's lovely annual Tolkien Blog Party last week(!) and I'm not gonna let that get away without making an appearance so we're gonna squeak in under the wire here with some tag answers. ;-)

And her questions look delicious. (I'm excited about this, can you tell? To be quite transparent, I'm also feeling like a cup of coffee would be warmly encouraging, but as it's already getting late that's probably a terrible idea.) 

Ok, let's do this thing!

Tolkien Party Tag Answers

 

1. Rohan or Gondor?

Between the two... Rohan. (Though some of my favorite scenes do happen in Gondor.) Still, I'm a girl who's happiest and at home in mountains and wide places. (As aforementioned, once or twice... somewhere. ;))

 

2. Rivendell or Lothlorien?

Oh, this one's hard. I keep wanting to say Ithilien on one of these. It's actually my favorite "resting point" in the trilogy -- and possibly my favorite location period. (Oooh, someday someone needs to explore the plot development happening between Elrond/Rivendell, Galadriel/Lothlorien, and Faramir/Ithilien + Tom Bombadil/his house. There's something there. I can just feel it.) 

But back on track! Hmm. Rivendell or Lothlorien... If it's in the fall, with its warm and cozy lights gleaming out and beckoning in the chilly darkness, I'd say Rivendell. On the other hand, someday I really want to see Lothlorien in the springtime.

3. Erebor or Moria?

Erebor. If restored to its former glory, I know Moria would probably be incredible, but yes, I've been in caves and not so much into the major underground thing. I also always love picturing what might have happened to the Lonely Mountain under Dain.

 

4. Bilbo or Frodo?

On the whole, Frodo. I wrote some about him here, once upon a time; and still find so much about him thought provoking, especially, I think, as I keep growing and developing myself, at the ripe old age of thirty-something now.

5. Merry or Pippin?

Probably Merry. If I have to choose. (Though to be clear I love both. Of course.) And upon my last reading I did really enjoy seeing Pippin's character development, especially in ROTK, but yes, Merry. *sniffles thinking about Certain Scenes*

6. Galadriel or Elrond?

Elrond. (Though since we're on the subject, I may as well mention I have a quibble on the topic when it comes to the films. All my life -- up to and including this moment -- I pictured him broad shouldered, majestic, and bearded. And apparently, though rare, in the broader Tolkien legendarium it's not unheard of for an elf to have facial hair. So all that to say, I'm going to bravely withstand whatever tides of public opinion may arise and dare to keep my mental picture. ;D)

 

7. Eomer or Faramir?

While I've come to dearly like Eomer, Faramir is very probably my favorite character in the entire trilogy, so.... yes. (You can read more here, if you're so inclined.) 

 

8. Fili or Kili?

Ok, so I haven't seen the Hobbit movies (in which there's possibly more character development for them?), but I honestly can't separate the two. Joined at the shoulder in life and death, their ending in the book is so poignant it's brought me to tears... I really can't choose between them.

 

9. Bard or Beorn?

Bard. Definitely Bard. (Though the scene where Beorn -- ahem -- appears at the end of the Hobbit always makes me want to cheer. And cry. And cheer.)

 

10. Gandalf the Grey or Gandalf the White?

Gandalf the White. He's weighty and majestic and awe-inspiring... and still himself.

 

This was a lovely tag, Rachel! So fun and you've made me want to pick the books up again asap. Thank you! <3

~

P.S. We've also been suuuuuuper busy outdoors this year, including breaking ground on the new location for our very own genuine Hobbiton garden. It's early days yet, but the goal is to one day have one of which Samwise could be proud. & maaaaaaybe it'll be big enough for a celebratory post for next year's LOTR's party. Wouldn't that be fun? We shall see! ;-)