Hope and Sorrow

“The Fellowship of the Ring.” Chapter 11, “A Knife in the Dark.”

Before sharing the tale of Beren and Tinuviel with his four hobbit companions, Aragorn said…

“‘I will tell you the tale of Tinu ́viel,’ said Strider, ‘in brief – for it is a long tale of which the end is not known; and there are none now, except Elrond, that remember it aright as it was told of old. It is a fair tale, though it is sad, as are all the tales of Middle-earth, and yet it may lift up your hearts.’”

Sad tales. So much sorrow. Middle-earth is heavy with it; yet, each sorrow, when shared in song and story, strengthens hearts for these sorrows (most of them anyway) are accompanied with love, friendship, loyalty, courage, etc. Hearts are, indeed, lifted. Arda is better for the sorrow. Stronger. More beautiful.

I believe our world is much the same. I hope it is, anyway.

The photo is a card from Lord of the Rings: The Card Game. Excellent fun.

In a hole in the ground…

Write about your dream home.

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.”

from The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

Fear

What’s the thing you’re most scared to do? What would it take to get you to do it?

“A man that flies from his fear may find that he has only taken a short cut to meet it.“

JRR Tolkien

Complaint

What do you complain about the most?

Complaint

The water
that dripped
over the gutter’s lip
and splattered
against the gray stone
doused a bee
that toiled
between a rose’s silks,
a heft its wings
couldn’t bear,
filching flight
until the sun
shared its light
and philosophies.

I wasn’t much help at all.

Orcs!!!!

What are your favorite sports to watch and play?

Hunting orc!!!!!

Walk More

What would you do if you won the lottery?

I’d retire, buy some good hiking boots, and walk more. I’d take to the woods.

Fences

What are your thoughts on the concept of living a very long life?

The Old Fence

so much depends
upon the old fence,

soft with age,
that bends across
winter’s meadow,

between the gray wolf
and a lamb,
bleating and tender.

——-

My answer? Build a strong fence.

Alive

What could you do differently?

1. I could hum more often.

2. I could better appreciate a warm blanket.

3. I could say hello to everyone I encounter.

4. I could write another book.

5. I could complain less.

6. I could make pancakes.

7. I could listen to the trees.

8. I could walk in the rain.

9. I could plant a garden.

10. I could realize I’m alive.

A Hobbit’s Library

You get to build your perfect space for reading and writing. What’s it like?

Neat, but not too neat. A cup of tea graced with a drizzle of honey. The chair cushions are firm. The pillows are soft. It’s autumn. The open window invites sweet, sweet aromas: earth and harvest. The shelves are lined with books, each one standing at attention. A regiment of adventures!! In a volume of blank pages, I’ll record my own.

Shhh. This is my place.