Meanwhile, in Rivendell . . .

The Shire - emerald & gold - rolling hills - thatched roofs - painted doors - curly hair - bread & pumpkins - pipe tobacco - running water - merriment - wagon wheels - fireworks Rivendell - autumn leaves - scrolled archways - quiet chambers - tiled floors - libraries - dusky purple - choral singing - waterfalls - dark-bright eyes - vines & tranquility - wistfulness Lothlorien - starlight  - diamond buildings  - royal blue  - living midnight  - white robes  - gem-like flowers  - marble steps  - fountains - twilight trees  - fear & stillness  - sanctuary Rohan - dry prairie grass  - equine noises  - stable dust  - sunlight  - cerulean sky - motionless clouds - reed roofs  - empty halls  - coronets  - military exercises  - pride & homeland  Gondor - grey & white  - marble statues  - twisted trees  - industrialism  - architecture  - immaculate tomes...

Hello again, and a very happy birthday to Bilbo and Frodo. *cheers* I'm here to answer this year's Tolkien-y questions, as posed by the magical Istar herself, Hamlette .  (Who, in case you missed it, is hosting a wondrous giveaway in honor of the week's celebrations!)   I'd also like to state, for the record, that these aesthetic collages (same line as last year's tag answers ) make me feel truly indescribable things and I love them dearly.  ⸻ 1. What Tolkien character do you think you're the most like? Longish answer for this one, and to be clear, I'm not claiming that all of these traits are good or healthy ones.  To start with, I'd wager that I'm a mix of Faramir, Bilbo, and Frodo: Faramir's general personality & set of core social and moral values.  [See also:  this post .] Bilbo's contentment with home & hearth, and his disinterest in adventures, combined with the occasional nebulous, heart-throbbing pull that he feels of "s...

Let's kick off the momentous event that is Hamlette's annual Tolkien blog party with a nice batch of Middle-earthy fan videos, shall we?  You all know how much I love these things. 😃 Here you go!  A handful of beautiful artistic creations guaranteed to make you feel a lot of feelings & produce an urge to start the entire trilogy all over again.  ✥ 2:21-2:40.  "You think it is love?  Are you ready to die for it?"   I am not okay.  Thanks for asking. ✥ Ahhh, I love the way this one evokes the camaraderie between all the characters.  Such happy.  Much exhilarating.  Very yes.  ✥ Parent-child, mentor-mentee feels for the win.  ✥ This song is a bop and so is this vid.  #ihavespoken ✥ WELL THANKS FOR THAT NOW I'M EMOTIONAL.  Things to be prepared for: The best version of that two-minute violin intro I've ever seen (probably). A tragic AU backstory of Bard and his deceased wife using clips from Dracula . Some of t...

Hamlette and Eva have both tagged me for the Sunshine Blogger Award again!  And look, I'm actually completing the tag in a timely manner this go-'round.   Rules 1. Thank the blogger who nominated you in the blog post and link back to their blog.  ( Thank you so much, ladies! 💕) 2. Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you. 3. Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions. 4. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or on your blog. Hamlette's Questions 1. What's something good that's happened to you this year? It struck me recently that I'll be able to look back on 2020 as the year that I wrote a novel.  Like, an actual novel. For some people, that's pretty piecemeal.  For me, it's a pretty big deal.  I proved to myself that despite all my preconceptions, I am actually capable of developing a story into legitimate novel length.  I am capable of writing x-thousand words for one ...