Rusty Skills But At Least I Still Have Them

I received a quick note yesterday afternoon that a fellow Tolkien-based fiction author and good friend had passed. Dreamflower was a friend of many years, a talented author, and a fellow enthusiast who was an active member in the Tolkien fan-fiction community. She read other's writings avidly, commented when she felt moved, always was positive, and she'll be missed. Travel safely to the West, my friend. I hope to meet you again someday on that far shore. 

Another friend is sailing into the unknown - heading to the 
Western seas. Travel safely, my dear. You'll be missed. 

Yesterday was also a very busy day in the kitchen, and I even got an hour to spend cutting mats for two pictures I need to get into their frames. I wish I had gotten a bit more completed, but it was a good start and I'll try to get some more work done on them on Sunday. My workspace for framing at home isn't the greatest space. It's small, it's crowded, and it doesn't work super well for the larger cuts. It's fine for the finer detail work, but the big stuff is a bit of a PITA. But, it's what I have available, so I'll just have to make do. No choices. 

My Fletcher glass cutting equipment takes quite a bit 
of space. And the sheets of glass are often quite large 
too. Tiny shards of glass also accumulate beneath it, 
so if I bring this home, I'll have to be very careful about 
where I mount it. 

I will have to take interior measurements for these also - I need to get glass cut for them, and my glass cutter is on the wall at the shop. I've been running through possibilities of where I could get it set up here at home, and I haven't come up with a decent location for the cutter yet. I'm running out of time - I'll have to get it pulled and mounted somewhere here ... but where??? 

My framing skills are a bit rusty, and the space I have available 
for my equipment isn't the best. Nonetheless, as the saying 
goes ... I'll persevere. No real choices here - LOL. 

But, at least it was a day when I did get something accomplished for framing. I didn't get nearly as far as I had wanted, but anything is an improvement over nothing. Part of the problem is I simply haven't done a lot of framing over the past few years, and my skills are rusty. They are still there, but everything takes a bit longer - it's less intuitive. On that note, I'm going to the swimming pool to work out some of my basic frustration. Have an excellent day and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

"The Wanderer" - An Influence on JRR Tolkien and His Masterpiece, "The Lord of the Rings"

I'm not sure how many of you were linked to a post made on Haldir's Lover by "elisian fields", but it's well worth sharing for my fellow lovers of Tolkien. I loved so many parts of this, and every little bit carried more of the "Why" in "Why do I love Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" so much?". Maybe you'll also have resonance with it. I recommend it and here's the link. 

"The Wanderer" is an old Anglo-Saxon 
poem that Tolkien researched extensively. 
You'll find echoes of it in The Two 
Towers when Aragorn is in Rohan. 

I've been a Tolkien lover since the paperback books of "The Lord of the Rings" were published by Ballantine Books in 1965-1973. These had the covers many of you automatically recognize as "original" paperbacks, and this is when I purchased my first set (the first of many). Of course, there was a small, unauthorized publication of "The Lord of the Rings" in three books in 1965 by Ace, but there was a court battle and Ballantine won the rights for the official and authorized publication. 

Did you own an original paperback of 
"The Lord of the Rings"? If your cover 
of "The Return of the King" looked like 
this, you had the Ace publication which 
was an unauthorized edition. The 
Ballantine Edition was much better 
known, and was authorized, so they 
won the bidding wars. 

Reading The Trilogy opened a deep hole in front of me that I jumped into and that I have never wanted to climb out of. Tolkien Fan-girl? Guilty as charged without apology. I have years when I delve into it deeply, and others when I skim the surface, but there's not a year that passes when I don't have my nose in Tolkien in one way or another. 

I had a poster of the three covers blended 
together into a single montage in my room 
during my High School years. The paperbacks 
were originally published and available 
in my area in the middle-later 1960's and 
I purchased each volume as they became 
available. I read them to death - my original 
volumes are creased and torn. Well loved. 

There have been numerous editions since those first two, and I, ever curious, found this website where they are all pictured. Want to know when your edition was published? Check it out and see what your cover art tells you. I still have at least one full set of the original 1965 Ballantine books, and one where I'm missing one volume (I know who took it, but have no chance for recovery). I also have several sets of hardcover sets and a lot of the supplementary books including the entire "History of Middle Earth". Although I don't have the Trilogy next to my computer, I do have my well-worn copy of "The Silmarillion" and my "The History of Middle-Earth Index" within easy reach. Marks of addiction, I suppose. LOL

I have a full set of "The History of Middle Earth". I read 
through them too. (Sometimes it was a bit dry, but it 
was interesting as a whole.) These were never destined to 
be best-sellers, but I'm happy I have a set. 

Have an excellent day. We're cold for a few days, but then will finally (maybe) have a nice weekend for a change. A girl can hope - LOL. Be kind, stay safe and please wear your mask. I'll be back tomorrow. 

Yarn and Birthday Greetings - A Day Late but Never Forgotten

I spent Sunday watching a lot of football and working with my knitting machine. It was a lazy, laid-back day for DH and me and we both enjoyed it a great deal. We don't always have the opportunity to kick back and relax, and January is a busy month for both of us, so we were determined to enjoy. I decided I'd really like a sweater to go with the hat I just knitted for myself earlier in the week. I sat down and tried some things out to get a handle on dimensions, then knitted a folded hem and 90 rows in the yard I want to use, I'll actually be pulling that back out to do a true sample swatch, but I like the yarn a lot. It was one of the "cakes" that DH bought for me at Michael's earlier in the week. - lovely color blend. 

Not the best picture, but this is Caron Skinny Cakes in 
the Tiramisu colorway. I made myself a hat from this 
on Friday, and decided on Sunday that I wanted to make 
a sweater to match. I know I won't have enough yarn, so 
I'll have to buy more, but the main concern is matching 
the colors from front to back so things don't look too 
off-kilter. That may not be possible, but I love the yarn. 

My main problem with using a color blend yarn is matching color bands from front to back. I'm not sure it will be something I can do since each panel is worked independently and then assembled into the finished garment. I'll have to see if I can figure that out because I would like some continuity, if possible. Then again, I may do two different stitches - decorative on the front, stockinette on the back, and the colors wouldn't match no matter what if I did that kind of scheme. 

I've always felt that there was a good bit of Hobbit 
in JRR Tolkien. Although he was a scholar and a 
linguist, there was this part of him that would have 
loved to grab his walking stick and stride out into 
the wilderness to see what he would see. 

Of course, I missed Professor Tolkien's actual birth date celebration, but did raise a cup of hot tea with rum in his honor. His masterwork - "The Lord of the Rings" - has been such a touchstone in my life and my love of the books (which I've read more than 100 times) brought me to friends throughout the world, all joined together by one small hobbit, a wizard and several elves. Oh, and I can't forget the dwarves, my DH would never forgive me if I forgot the dwarves. 

This single image from the film version of "The Lord of 
the Rings" has always been one of my favorites. The Nine 
walkers setting out on their long journey, filled with hope 
and chased by fear and despair. 

Tolkien has influenced my life since I was 14 years old and "The Fellowship of the Rings" was first published in paperback in the USA. I am still immersed in his universe on a daily basis - whether it is reading (original writings or one of the Professor's books), writing about something within that universe or general fanfiction, or just playing Lord of the Rings Online, I'm always surrounded by the populace and landscape of Middle Earth in one way or another. So, "Thank You" JRR Tolkien, for allowing your imagination to run free and create something of lasting value in my life. Happy Birthday, a day late. 

I'm out of here - even though it's early, it's going to be a very busy day today. I hope each of you have a wonderful day ahead of you and I'll be back tomorrow. Stay safe, be kind, and please wear a mask. 

Stay at Home - Day 14 - A Tale for You - Mab's Tree

I haven't written a story in quite a while, and one of my on-line friends was asking me to write in this time of trouble and turmoil. ... so I did. Write, that is. It occurred to me that Tolkien also had a Great Plague in the formative years of old. It's barely mentioned in the Silmarillion, but it's there, and the death toll was massive, changing the composition of Middle Earth forever. The Hobbits were hard hit, according to the annals, as were men. It's hard to say if there was any effect on dwarves or elves, I suspect the elves were immune and the dwarves retreated into their mountain fastness and closed the doors against infection. Still, those left on the land were hit, and hit hard. 

According to the map legend, the pink areas had the plague, and the
darker the color, the more affected the area. 

So, here's my story - Mab's Tree, written in the dark hours of a long day, so any errors are totally my own, and as always, all thanks to Tolkien, the Master of the story. 

Mab's Tree

She was known as Mab. It was a certainty that her name had been far more than a single breath. Indeed, if rumors were to be believed, she had been a great beauty in the days of her youth. But those days were far behind her and on this day, as she fought the crank of the bucket, drawing cold water from the well, those days seemed centuries in the past.

This was the fourth hole she had been visited - the tears and entreaties of the other inhabitants of the small settlement having pulled her away from her own cozy bed and into the chill of the pre-dawn hours. The fever had hit hard, with almost every family affected. As the healer of the vale, she was in demand, despite the fact that her own sleep had been scant and spotty at best.

In truth, there was little she could do. The sickness had passed up from the South, hitting all races, save perhaps the dwarves and elves. "But, o' course, there's no tellin' if the tales of such beings even be true," she muttered to herself as she unhooked the bucket, wrapping a cloth around the metal handle to protect her hand from the added chill. "Mab," she chided, "you ha' no time for stuff 'n such nonsense."

As she entered the hole, the rank smell of the sickness assailed her once again. She had wrapped her head well, cloth across her nose and mouth, yet this was the fourth family she had visited this morning and the sun hadn't reached its zenith yet. There were many holes she had yet to visit.

She clamped down on a sigh. Such sounds would inspire none to bravery, stiffen no spines, comfort no fears. She knew the only thing to pull her friends and neighbors from this miasma would be faith and hope. It was not her job to tamp those feelings down. Such actions would only allow despair to enter through the broken shards.

She heated water and added herbs from her ever dwindling supply, making sure each one in the small family drank of the tisane after it was heated. After all had the hot tea and she had straightened their beds, she banked the fires and left, promising to return that evening. As she closed the door gently behind her, she wondered if any of them would be alive when she returned that night. Setting her sights for the next hole, she began walking, leaning on her thick staff.

In the days and years to come, the sickness was renamed by those in power and became what is now known as the Great Plague. By the time nearby hobbits checked on the small settlement in the vale, four of every five holes had been abandoned. The small graveyard, in the nearby grove, had grown large and now held the memories, history, and tears of hobbits of all ages. In the center of the cemetery was a tree which grew strong and tall. 'Mab's Tree' they called it, honoring the one who had given everything she had, including her life, to save her fellow Hobbits. Her name may have been short, but the memories of Hobbits were long, and for many years and in fireside tales she was remembered and celebrated.

Solstice, The Fall of Gondolin, and the MN State Fair

Good Solstice to All! 

I've always enjoyed this image of the Celtic/Pagan Calendar. The
dates are spread when needed and firm when assigned, and I
love the colors (of course). I use a variant of this as one of
my avatars for my Live Journal account. 

Here, in the Frozen Northlands, it's time to celebrate the beginning of Summer. Litha, as it is sometimes called, sparks the new season, with Lammas coming at Midsummer. I always associate the Summer Solstice with the fall of Gondolin. (OK, I admit it - I'm a Tolkien addict. Of course, to most of my friends, that comes as no surprise at all.) 

The stand-alone book "The Fall of Gondolin" was actually published
in August last year. I'm surprised I haven't added it to my Tolkien
collection, but ascribe that to our desire to eliminate almost all
print books - too many of them. I might break down and put
this one on my holiday list, though.
Here, Tuor stands awestruck as he gets ready to enter the hidden
valley where Gondolin stands. 

Various people over the years have called the Festival that preceded the fall of Gondolin, Midsummer. However, Midsummer actually is Lammas, the halfway point between summer and autumn (thus the name, Midsummer). Tolkien says, in "The Silmarillion" ...

The host of Morgoth came over the northern hills where the height was greatest and the watch least vigilant, and it came at night upon a time of festival, when all the people of Gondolin were upon the walls to await the rising sun, and sing their songs at its uplifting; for the morrow was the great feast that they names the Gates of Summer. 

To my eyes and interpretation, gates are the beginning or end of something, not the middle, thus, this great festival was on Litha, the start of summer. Geeky? Yes, but also something I've envisioned through reading and writing in that universe for years and years. I'm hoping that as we welcome the sun today, that our worlds are safe, our loved ones are close at hand, and our day and the upcoming season will bring joy. 

I'm already being tempted by the Breakfast Baked Potato at the
Blue Barn. Featuring a deep friend potato skin stuffed with
scrambled eggs and peppers, topped with blackened beef
chislic (a South Dakota bar staple), it's drizzled with
bearnaise sauce. The Blue Barn has fabulous food, so I'm
looking forward to trying this on one of my Fair mornings. 

Of course the other part of summer is the State Fair and the list of new foods has now been published. There are some interesting ones on it, and I want to take a closer look on-line (one of the many links to the foods is HERE). My BFF Sharon has already been in touch regarding her airplane arrangements for her annual visit, and the clock is ticking louder and louder. The summer season is just beginning and I'm already focused on how much needs to be accomplished before its end. 

So enjoy your Summer Solstice, celebrate in whatever way is appropriate for you, and look forward to your three months of cookouts, camping, vacation trips and get-togethers. Summer is here! ... For my friends in the Southern Hemisphere, winter is a very nice season too ... really! Have a wonderful Friday and I'll return tomorrow. 

BINGO IS OVER, LIFE CAN RETURN TO "NORMAL"

I didn't check into my email at all yesterday, spending my day wrapping up things that were pending and finishing this year's B2MeM. Not opening my emails was a mistake. I have a LOT of unread emails that I have to run through. I'll be finishing those up tonight because I'm already running late today. 

I decided to block out my time for a month and participate in
Back to Middle-earth Month 2019. 

Welcome to April. A little more than a month ago I made a commitment. Maybe I should capitalize the word. I made a COMMITMENT. There, that's better. I had several old friends from the Tolkien community who read my daily blog and had been pushing me to at least entertain the idea of joining B2MeM once again. It was the Bingo format - a format that I adore. A week or so before it started, I reviewed the cards, narrowed them down to approx 30+ that I really liked (there originally were 205 cards available, so it was a good first cull), and finally, after a lot of work, had a collection of the ten cards I was allowed to claim, plus one more I tacked on because I couldn't resist a card featuring Not Safe For Work & Kink. 

I committed to 31 days and 31 stories, plus reading and commenting
on the stories of other participants. I can usually write and edit a story
within an hour, but the other reading and commenting did take more time. 

I made a personal promise to myself to not write long stories. I would keep things short. I didn't require a month of drabbles - I've done that before and that's a tough one. I did require short, and one other requirement. All of my prompts for that day's Bingo number had to be handled in a single story. I had two times that I was assigned six prompts for a story, and one time when only one prompt came up, but I had a prompt for every day, and that was pleasing. I also ended up with two separate BINGO's on my "Horror" card, which was also a treat. 

I ended up getting two Bingos, both on the "Horror" card. I guess
the stars were aligned for my dark side. 

I read stories from old friends and some not-so-friends. I enjoyed them all a great deal. I looked at artwork, and was once again amazed at the talent and variety of ways Tolkien fans interpret and embrace his works. All of the Ages of Tolkien's world were covered, and timelines were extended and fleshed out wonderfully. All within the constraints and confines of the Bingo framework. It was a glorious month. 

My thanks goes out to those of my friends who poked me to join and
write within the fandom once again. It was a joy to return to Tolkien's
world once more, and put my own twist on the tales. 

Now I return to a life of a bit more control. I don't have to write a story every day, I don't have to read and review every day either (because I think if you're participating, you have to participate in feedback as well), and I can return to my personal writing and my own projects. That's a good thing because it's April and I have a TON of things to finish within the next eight months. 

So thanks to all of you for being patient with me while I was off writing Bingo. I had a lot of fun. It's going to be nice to settle back to different challenges, however. But yeah - I had fun! Have an excellent Monday, I'll return on Tuesday. 

B2MeM 2019 Is Coming To An End

We're coming into the final week of B2MeM 2019. I started the month thinking "Oh, it's Bingo. I love that format. I'll give it my best shot and see how I do," to ending it with "Oh darn, I only have Sunday's prompts left and then Bingo will be over." That should make it clear to my readers that I have thoroughly enjoyed the month's worth of challenges, writing stories, reading the stories of other writers, and commenting. It's been totally awesome. 

It was a lot of fun to write within the Tolkien universe
once again. It's been two years since I allowed myself
to play in this sandbox. 

I do write every day - I blog six days a week, and I often write in my own fiction, but I hadn't played in the Tolkien universe for quite a while. Although I have wonderful friends over there, many of whom I am in touch with through my blog, I have also had some unpleasant experiences within the fandom that caused me to pull back a bit. But, I'm getting older, my skin is thick and quite resilient, and I just don't care any more. So, if I see something on LJ or DW regarding something I want to write about in the Tolkien universe, and I have the time, I'll probably do it. 

The previous B2MeM challenge I wrote within was 2017's
"Night and Day" B2MeM challenge. That challenge had
a variety of pathways that could be followed. I took the
longest pathway (because I like a challenge) and was
successful at the end of the month. Lots of fun. 

Time is the question. My Bingo entries were relatively short. My personal criteria for participating this year was two-fold: (1) I had to write short - ficlet or drabble length only, and (2) I had to combine all of the daily prompts into a single tale. Those were my personal rules. I could have written as long as I wanted, and composed an individual story for each prompt, but I set my boundaries. For me, the challenge was in melding the varied prompts into a single story that had focus - that could be told in entirety, with minimal words. 

I don't know that I'll have the time to do other writing challenges within the universe. Many of the other writing events and exchanges that run throughout the year either require longer word counts, or restrict to only drabbles. Those are both good boxes to work within, but summer is coming up and we have SO much to accomplish to be able to retire at the end of the year. Crazy busy - that's what we'll be. 

My very first B2MeM challenge was the Passports challenge
of 2011. It's what brought me from being a reviewer, editor and
commentator, to being a writer within the fandom. Again, I
succeeded in completing the challenge and I got all of the
varied passport stamps on my Visa. It was a LOT of fun and
a good intro to B2MeM. 

So, I'll probably post a big "Thank You" on Monday to the moderators and other authors for a wonderfully entertaining month of writing fun, and then I'll return to my current primary focus - making my house a place where I can merge the items for my workspace into my current home. That's rather like a shoehorn and a tightly-fitted shoe. It's going to work, but it's not going to be comfortable. 

Have a wonderful weekend, and I'll be back on Monday. Remember to be kind to others and to animals, and try to finish the month up on a good and positive note. 

Planning a Trip to NYC? You Might Want to Catch This Exhibit

Are you planning a trip soon? If you're a Tolkien fan, you might want to consider going to New York. Beginning on January 25th, and continuing through May 12, 2019, a special exhibit "Tolkien:  Maker of Middle-Earth" will be exhibited at New York's Morgan Library and Museum. They herald it as "the most extensive public display of original Tolkien material for several generations," drawing from "the collections of the Tolkien Archive at the Bodleian Library (Oxford), Marquette University Libraries (Milwaukee), the Morgan and private lenders." 

The original dust jacket of "The Hobbit" featured an original
illustration. The article used this as their header. I can't
guarantee it will be in the exhibit, but it's probably a good bet. 

It sounds magnificent. It will include "family photographs and memorabilia, Tolkien's original illustrations, maps, draft manuscripts, and designs related to The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion." There will also be "original illustrations of Smaug the dragon (from The Hobbit), Sauron's Dark Tower of Barad-dur (described in The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion), and other recognizable characters," as well as that of Tolkien's draft manuscripts that "provide a window into his creative process, as well as the vivid, expansive worlds he created." (Previous two paragraphs cited from a larger article at www.openculture.com from January 7th, 2019.) 

This image of Smaug from "The Hobbit" was an original
illustration by Tolkien. Since it was also featured in
the article, it might also be in the exhibit. 

I'm sending a huge THANK YOU out to my friend Seth who sent the article to me as something he thought would interest me. I'm putting the information here, because even though I won't be able to go, I'm quite sure a lot of my friends and readers on the East Coast might be able to make a day trip or a weekend trip up to NYC and want to see the exhibit. It would be a wonderful excuse to visit one of the more exciting cities of the world. 

This original illustration of Smaug flying outside of The Lonely Mountain
might also be in the exhibit. It's a lovely and detailed illustration for
what was intended to be a children's book. 

On that note, I'm going to shut this down for the day. It's a Wednesday, I have a shopping list a mile long (well ... that's probably an exaggeration, but if I count each blueberry individually, it might get longer - LOL), and errands that will take me all over the city. Thank goodness the weather is OK even though it's darned cold outside. Have a great Wednesday. And Aearwen - enjoy your visit with Lee. We'll chat next week and you can tell me all about his visit. Hugs to all, I'll be back on Thursday. 

A Belated Happy Birthday for a Top Ten Author

As I stated in yesterday's post, I'm a reader - a rather voracious one. That said, I do have several authors who rise to the top of my "Best Loved" list, a list that spreads through time and that is always open to change under the right circumstances. Today I'm remembering one of my Top Ten Authors, a name familiar to most of you - J.R.R. Tolkien. 

Reading the works of Tolkien had a huge impact
on my life. I was totally pulled into a world in
a way I had never been before. I couldn't get
enough of Middle Earth. 

Why mention Tolkien? Why now? Well, it's mainly because yesterday was his birthday - a date celebrated by many of my virtual friends and by readers throughout the world. Many of you posted about him yesterday, and his name appeared in other blogs as well. Me? I usually end up a day late for his birthday - not because I don't love and admire him, just because I'm horrible with dates. 

An introduction to an author of J.R.R. Tolkien's stature is really not necessary. It's a fact that his books are still read, enjoyed, being analyzed and written about, and are the basis for tens of thousands of fan-fiction stories. Few authors have had so much of a lasting effect upon their readers. 

I owned the original Ballentine paperbacks of
the "Lord of the Rings". In fact, I ended up
owning several sets because I read them to
death. I still have one of these sets, as well
as several other sets and hardcovers and
illustrated, and ... and ... and. Yeah! Addict! 

I entered the magical world of the "Lord of the Rings" in 1968, when the Ballentine edition paperbacks became available in the US. I had owned "The Hobbit" four years earlier, but was never able to really get into it. The trilogy, however, pulled me in and as the next books were published, I was waiting at the bookshop door. As I recall, they were issued monthly or every six weeks during the winter, into the spring of that year. While the world was going to hell - protests, riots on the street, and the Vietnam war on the television during our dinner hours, I had a quest to follow. I had characters to love. I had a plot of depth and side-characters of merit and prose worthy of celebration. 

Tolkien has been on my Top Ten Books list for
50 years. I don't think any other book on my
list has been there as long, although there is at
least one other that's been there for 40+ years. 

I've never turned away from that love. "The Lord of the Rings" has been in my Top-Ten list since then, and it always will be. At this stage of my life, I suspect I've read it more than 100 times and would absolutely choose it as one of the books I'd carry with me to a deserted island. So, I might be a day late, but my wishes are just as heartfelt. Thank you, Professor, and Happy Belated Birthday. 

Have a great weekend. I'll be back on Monday for a VERY rushed morning. But, I'll still be here because that's the way I am - stubborn. LOL 

Midsummer - Celebrated in Real Life and in Fiction

Today is Midsummer - the longest day and shortest night are leaving us and we are on our downward slope toward Yule. Today, however, is Litha, the Summer Solstice. Whenever the Summer Solstice arrives my mind always turns to Tolkien because it was an important lynchpin in the history of Middle Earth. Long before the hobbits became a people, and long before Rivendell and other areas known to most readers and watchers of the "Lord of the Rings", there was a great migration across the sea and the ice that brought the elves to the shores of Middle Earth. 

"Finrod Crosses the Helcaraxe" by Wisesnail Art
on DeviantArt. 

The early history of the elves in Middle Earth was a history of exploration, small settlements, forays against Morgoth and battles, large and small. Two times major battles occurred on Litha, resulting in the decimation of the elves and strong victories for the forces of evil - the black and white, good and bad, so often the focus of Tolkien's writings. Because both of these major battles occurred long before the "Lord of the Rings", in "The Silmarillion", casual readers are often unaware of them. 

I own this version of The Silmarillion, although
my copy is heavy with post-it notes and heavily
creased and used. Copyright 1977, so I've
had it for a while. 

The first major battle that was named the "Nirnaeth Arnoediad" or "Tears Unnumbered". This fifth and more ruinous battle in the history of the Wars of Beleriand, took place on Litha, and ended in a mountain of dead. Turgon, now the High King, retreated to his hidden city of Gondolin, "The Hidden Rock" where he ruled for a few more years (exact count a bit loose). Gondolin, was brought down by the treachery of Maeglin. 

Gondolin was a city hidden in the mountains, surrounded by
nearly impassible peaks, with a single highly-guarded
entrance. I've always loved this piece by John Howe, depicting
Gondolin in the morning's light. 

In the first instance, Maedhros and Fingon blew trumpets of challenge toward Angband, trying to defeat Morgoth. In the second instance, Morgoth attacked over the northern hills, crossing them during the night while the people below had gathered for their annual ceremony called the "Gates of Summer". Instead of the dawn's light, it was the red light of war that met the sun that day, and Gondolin fell to the forces of Morgoth. 

I'm hoping that your Summer Solstice will be less fraught with danger and that you celebrate this turning of the year with friends and family. The light will now begin it's slow fade toward the cold of the the year and we, once again, will celebrate the joining of friends and family in celebration. Happy Thursday to all! Happy Litha! 

The Hero Archetype or Rush Jobs On My Plate

Rush jobs usually are the ones that are slapped together, often poorly thought out, and many times they are the ones you always want a do-over for. I'm hoping that the current SWG Writing Challenge doesn't turn into one of those, even though I only have 2-1/2 weeks in which to write it.

The concept is fascinating. Dawn and the SWG gang are taking the concept of the archetypal Hero and pulling the character (any character of the writer's choice within SWG parameters) into a series of prompts - each one of which must lead into the next. The author can choose either three, five or seven prompts to spur their story forward. Because of my limited time frame, I decided to go with three, but normally I would have probably chosen five.

The Hero's Journey is the foundation of most legendary
tales and can be morphed in so many ways that it can
easily become the foundation for the protagonist in most
books and stories written. Although SWG is based in
Tolkien, the Hero exists in literature across the spectrum. 

The Hero character is one that has featured in literature for as long as tales have been told around the nighttime fires. S/He's the one identified in Joseph Campbell's "The Hero With 1000 Faces", a transformative book analyzing world mythology first published in 1949. Campbell's theory, repeated over and over again in other expostulation about writing styles, is the following:

"A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself." 

Think about that for a moment. Bringing it into Tolkien, Frodo and the others in the Nine Walkers did exactly this - but the true heroes of the tale are the combined talents of Frodo and Sam. Each of them would not have succeeded without the other - either as a driving force or a cheerleader. Frodo is the one who carried the ring, and it's basically his tale, but without his companion, the Quest would have failed and Middle Earth would have fallen into Darkness and terror. In succeeding in his quest to destroy the ring, Frodo gave everything - so much so that eventually he had to leave the land he loved to save his own life.

I now have my prompts for this newest writing challenge, they were emailed to me last night. I have a little over 14 days in which to write this before I leave for my annual Bead & Button conference, workshops and get-togethers. It's time for me to put on my power thinking hat!

It was pouring down rain in buckets for most of the night. It's a
bit calmer now, but it will still be a wet day. I'm debating the
virtues of an umbrella vs my rain slicker. 

Have a wonderful Wednesday. I think today will be rain, rain and ... yes ... yet again more rain. I may have to drag out my wonderful Paddington Bear yellow hooded slicker. I look ridiculous in it, but it's waterproof and that may be the key today.

Research and Fan Fiction Within Tolkien

My goodness, people writing for B2MeM have been so productive! It's turning into a really fun month, and it's keeping me on my toes to stay up-to-date with my chosen Red path. Stories and artwork are being posted from friends both old and new. I hope those of you on Live Journal have an opportunity to join or watch the B2MeM community - there's some wonderful writing and artwork going on now in the JRR Tolkien realm of fanfiction.

I'm having so much fun writing again, but also reading and
looking at the various art pieces produced. B2MeM is a
wonderful thing! 

The quest for stories is keeping me on my research toes, and that's quite a lot of fun too. When writing in someone else's universe, all of a sudden you're placing a transparent overlay on top of already existing words. That gives a foundation for your story or art which can be very comforting. However, it also places a structure around the story/art that usually requires the use of some touchstones to ring true to others reading or enjoying the work. In the case of Tolkien, it's a LOT of written backdrop for a very small short story that still has to fit into the historical structure of the world that he built.

Ivan Billiban was an earth 20th century artist whose elvish
illustrations are stunning. Here is his Elves of Mirkwood piece. 

In other words, the majority of fan fiction isn't going to actually reinvent the world already created, it's going to choose small bits and pieces to embellish, expand, or explain. Can stories be carried out of Tolkien's universe and into new grounds? Of course. That's what the more historical documents featuring Tolkien characters will do. That's the 20th century elves (21st century now, of course) living and thriving in our current world. That's the Maglor through history stories that many of us have done. I'm guilty of that myself, and may end up with some AU stories within my 31 days of B2MeM.

Researching within a fictional world that already exists can be
intimidating. So much has already been written - millions of words,
thousands of authors, and you're trying to put your own stamp on
your own vision of beloved fiction. 

But when a prompt is clearly based in a specific "historical" reference, it almost always places an obligation on the author to play in that particular sandbox. Thus - research! My "spare" time has been spent with research lately - the timeline for events, the specific names of supplementary characters who may or may not appear in a tale, the general rediscovery of why I love the greater world of Tolkien so much.

A wall sized canvas can make you want to travel new pathways. That's
also what a broad history can do in fiction. The main path exists, but
what about all of those side paths and pastures to explore? 

Of course "Lord of the Rings" is a classic and a beloved set of books read by millions over the years. I've been reading them since 1968, so yes - I'm totally addicted. But when I first read "The Silmarillion", my vistas expanded far beyond that small little slice in time to a much broader history. That's what I love about Tolkien - that swath of history that extends eons and encompasses thousands of people. Oh yeah!

Happy Tuesday. If today's 50 mph-60 mph winds don't blow me off the face of the Minnesota earth, I'll be back tomorrow. Hopefully my current research will end up in another story being posted in B2MeM today too. At least that's the goal.

A Post of Time, Thanks and More Meme

The email swamp is full and I'm WAY behind. I want to thank all of you who have reviewed "Solitude", I'll be responding within a day or so. I also want to thank various friends for emailing me or responding to my blog posts. I'm trying hard to catch up. Limited time is really difficult when it is compounded by even more limited time, and, unfortunately, that's my situation right now.

My introduction to "Lord of the Rings" was the original Ballentine
editions published around 1967. I remember first reading them when
I was in my first or second year of Junior High, when many of you
would be calling Middle School. That meant I was in grade 7 or 8 at
the time. I remember weeping when Gandalf died - absolutely heartbroken. 

On the plus side:

• My V-Day weight gain is already gone (huzzah and hurrah) and there should be a new SWG Challenge waiting for me to take a look. 
• Tonight is either the final or the first of two final episodes of Project Runway Season 2, and DH has a hockey game to keep him occupied tonight. AND
• I've been playing one of my lower-level characters in Lord of the Rings Online and am remembering once again how much I really enjoy wandering the lands of Middle Earth. In my own personal cycle of Tolkien adoration (since I first read LOTR in 1967-68), I'm heading back up the roller coaster of love and addiction again. Yes, I'm a Tolkien nerd, and I'm NOT looking for a cure. 

I think I'll continue on with the 365-day meme because I'd like to get more caught up. So here we go ...

Although I get stressed by a lot of things, I also operate
really well under stress, so I self-impose stress into my
life. Probably too often for my own good. 

What stresses you?

I get stressed by thinking about governmental paperwork (even though I deal with that monthly as a business owner), going to the dentist (2X a year without fail, but I don't enjoy it), and having outside forces scheduling my time (usually consisting of DH deciding we need to do X when I had planned to do Y).

Your relationship status and how you feel about it.

Married - usually happily. Are there things I would change? Sure. But people being people, you're just not going to love 100% everything about them all of the time. I shoot for 70%-80% good times, and I'm usually pretty happy.

Where you'd like to be in ten years.

Let's start by being alive and healthy with a sturdy roof over my head, money in the bank, and food in my refrigerator. Secondarily, let's hope I'm living in a nation where it is safe to venture outside of my home, where I have good friends and fun places to go, and where I am still active physically and mentally. That'll all work!

Your views on drugs and alcohol,

Drugs can be a problem, at least the heavier-duty ones. Alcohol can also be a problem for a lot of people, but I got over my problems with it long ago and just indulge minimally now. The hangovers weren't worth the high any more. Should everything be illegal? Not necessarily.

The Horse - yeah. That pretty well describes me. The
good and the bad, both. 

What is your Zodiac sign? Does it fit your personality?

I'm a Taurus - the bull - in the standard Zodiac. Of course, there are a lot of different Zodiacs and in some changes I become an Aries. In the Chinese Zodiac I'm a Horse with a Fire indicator. I can live with all of these. It's all fun.

So there we go, another five quick entries for the 365-day meme. Nothing deep and psychologically scarring - yet! I hope all of you have a wonderful Thursday. I'm going to try and catch up on some emails (about 100 of them) and clear my schedule so that I can watch Project Runway Junior tonight. Enjoy your day!