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"It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end… because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing… this shadow. Even darkness must pass."

~Sam, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

So what did you do on your Christmas break when it was cold outside?

Miss(ed) Manners recreated the Battle of Pelennor Fields and the White City of Minas Tirith with...gummi bears and candy. Check their site for detailed photographs and a link to last year's effort, the Battle of Helm's Deep.



No gingerbread in sight.

I’m having a thoroughly chaotic couple of weeks, mostly not writing related. School finishes in two weeks, and I’m in the midst of writing reports, rehearsing for three presentation night items, ferrying the Murphlets to various events, attending end of year functions and so on. I counted eight functions I need to attend in the next two weeks – more than I’ve been to in the whole year to date.

It only took a few notes and people came running from every corner of the house to listen to this podcast about the LOTR film score.


A small bit of fun: Some interesting alternate versions of Howard Shore's themes, Peter Jackson's meddling and more information on the book about Shore and his magnificent film score.

Like the folks in the podcast, I wonder if this family's fascination with this subject will ever end?

Nope.



Film Score Monthly Podcast.

So, you know how if you don't laugh for too long, your (humor-)immune system goes down? After having been mopey over computer woes for days, with no choice except to keep "fixing" my machine, today I mentioned our kitchen trash smelled horrible.

"Okay," Damon said, surprising me. I was expecting him to ask how come I didn't take out the trash, but he totally hopped to it. "Could you put another bag in?" he added, already bent over and tying up the offending, old trash.

So I hopped to it, too. Grabbed a tall kitchen bag; lined the can.

Then I hear Damon hiss, in low, raspy voice, "Bag innn . . . "

"Shire . . . "

I was so startled, I definitely laughed too long and hard at that one.

Sigh.

r

Conference and Comic Con pictures/posts still coming. Someday!

The Downfall of Sauron, March 25th

The Tolkien Society had many reasons for choosing this anniversary to celebrate Tolkien Reading Day, but I like this one best:

It is a date of renewal: the change from the Third Age to the Fourth, the change from fear and oppression to new hope. Re-reading Tolkien (or, for many, reading him for the first time) will be an act of renewal and refreshening their appreciation of his works.