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Here's my Monday! (cross-posted from

monthlydiaryday

7AM--Got up and made breakfast and packed a couple of sandwiches for the DH, as he's heading out to Oklahoma City for a job interview. Watched Good Morning America.

9AM--called some Rx refills in to the local pharmacy, then took a shower and got dressed. Tidied the house and started some laundry. Then I went on the computer to work on some modly duties for the archive, trying to compile the winners of the Tree and Flower Awards for the Many Paths to Tread archive. Most of the compilations were already done by my co-mod

rhapsody11, but I had some run-off votes to add, and then I worked on formatting the announcement. OF COURSE the formatting gave me trouble.

10:30--The DH called. The interview was successful and he was on the way home. He was offered the job, but he wants to wait one more day, to see if the one he likes better (it's closer and pays a little more) comes through; but he will probably accept the OKC one. I went to Braums to drop off some of my polymer clay jewelry to a couple of my co-workers. One didn't have her money, so she said she'd pay me at the library in the evening. (I go to knitting circle at the library on Monday nights, and she takes her little girl to the chess club there.) Then I picked up our prescriptions and came home. The DH was already home. We had some lunch, watched a couple of episodes of "Love It or List It" on HGTV (mostly sleeping through them, to be perfectly honest).

1PM--I folded laundry, cleaned up the kitchen and prepared a meatloaf for supper. (I didn't put it in the oven yet, just made the loaf). Then I got back to the computer and wrestled with the announcement formatting again. About 4ish I popped the meatloaf in the oven; we'd have green peas and mashed potatoes with it.

5PM--Supper was ready, but we had to put it on hold. Our insurance agent called; the DH had put in a question: our floor furnace seems to be broken, and we wondered if maybe it might have been caused by recent earthquake activity (DARN FRACKING!! Those oil companies HAVE to know these earthquakes are their fault!) But apparently even if it is caused by earthquakes, with our deductible it's probably not worth putting in a claim. So we did not actually get to eat for nearly 20 minutes.

5:20--Ate supper and watched the ABC news. Then I got my knitting together and left the house about 6:15. (The circle starts at 6:30.) I also took my jewelry in case S. did show up.
For a while it was just me and the librarian (a good friend), and I showed her my sock loom and we talked about socks for a while. Then my co-worker and her daughter showed up. She paid for her earrings and bought another pair for her little girl. The librarian bought a small brooch. Just before the library closed, this couple came in to complain that she'd gotten a notice about parking in the library parking lot. Of course the librarian couldn't do anything about it--the city manager was trying to crack down on people parking at the library all day (for work) when they are not there as library patrons. I could tell the wife did not really want to complain, but her husband did. My poor friend had to both placate them and yet make it clear that the rule was the rule. Working with the public can be very frustrating at times, but LD. (the librarian) was cool as a cucumber.

7:50--Headed home before the library closed at eight. Watched the tail end of another "Love It or List It" episode that the DH had started, and then used the DVR to watch "Dancing with the Stars". Tonight was switch-up week (celebrities and pros switch partners for one week) and also Maxsim was a guest judge. I was really impressed with how well the contestants did with their new partners! Some terrific dancing going on; I have to say, I just love Bindi Irwin! She's just adorable, and she just wears all of her feelings out for everyone to see, and she's just radiates positivity. But I had to leave the room during her pre-dance package, because she had brought along a honking great snake to the training studio and I am dreadfully phobic about them.

When it was done, I went to the computer to work on that announcement, but still was having some trouble getting it just right, so I worked on a different thing for a different community, and then started typing up my notes.

So, the DH has headed on to bed, and I'm fixing to follow as soon as I get all of these notes typed up. Maybe I'll have time to post before I go to work in the morning.

The other day the DH and I were at the OK State Fair, and were looking at some of the exhibits by the FFA (Future Farmers of America): along with vegetables and livestock, there were more creative exhibits in woodworking, floral design, needlework, and...pumpkin decorating.

Most of my pictures did not come out, sadly, but one that did just begged to have a bit of commentary added. Behind a cut, in case anyone on my flist is a fan of the current Republican front-runner (at least the last time I looked he still was). ( Read more... )

VoicePost

This book is largely concerned with Hobbits, and
from its pages a reader may discover much of their character and a
little of their history. Further information will also be found in
the selection from the Red Book of Westmarch that has already been
published, under the title of _The Hobbit_. That story was derived
from the earlier chapters of the Red Book, composed by Bilbo himself,
the first Hobbit to become famous in the world at large, and called
by him _There and Back Again,_ since they told of his journey into
the East and his return: an adventure which later involved all the
Hobbits in the great events of that Age that are here related.

     Many, however, may wish to know more about
this remarkable people from the outset, while some may not possess
the earlier book. For such readers a few notes on the more important
points are here collected from Hobbit-lore, and the first adventure
is briefly recalled.

     Hobbits are an unobtrusive but very ancient
people, more numerous formerly than they are today; for they love
peace and quiet and good tilled earth: a well-ordered and well-farmed
countryside was their favourite haunt. They do not and did not
understand or like machines more complicated than a forge-bellows, a
water-mill, or a hand-loom, though they were skilful with tools. Even
in ancient days they were, as a rule, shy of 'the Big Folk', as they
call us, and now they avoid us with dismay and are becoming hard to
find. They are quick of hearing and sharp-eyed, and though they are
inclined to be fat and do not hurry unnecessarily, they are
nonetheless nimble and deft in their movements. They possessed from
the first the art of disappearing swiftly and silently, when large
folk whom they do not wish to meet come blundering by; and this an
they have developed until to Men it may seem magical. But Hobbits
have never, in fact, studied magic of any kind, and their elusiveness
is due solely to a professional skill that heredity and practice, and
a close friendship with the earth, have rendered inimitable by bigger
and clumsier races.

     For they are a little people, smaller than
Dwarves: less tout and stocky, that is, even when they are not
actually much shorter. Their height is variable, ranging between two
and four feet of our measure. They seldom now reach three feet; but
they hive dwindled, they say, and in ancient days they were taller.
According to the Red Book, Bandobras Took (Bullroarer), son of
Isengrim the Second, was four foot five and able to ride a horse. He
was surpassed in all Hobbit records only by two famous characters of
old; but that curious matter is dealt with in this book.

     As for the Hobbits of the Shire, with whom
these tales are concerned, in the days of their peace and prosperity
they were a merry folk. They dressed in bright colours, being notably
fond of yellow and green; but they seldom wore shoes, since their
feet had tough leathery soles and were clad in a thick curling hair,
much like the hair of their heads, which was commonly brown. Thus,
the only craft little practised among them was shoe-making; but they
had long and skilful fingers and could make many other useful and
comely things. Their faces were as a rule good-natured rather than
beautiful, broad, bright-eyed, red-cheeked, with mouths apt to
laughter, and to eating and drinking. And laugh they did, and eat,
and drink, often and heartily, being fond of simple jests at all
times, and of six meals a day (when they could get them). They were
hospitable and delighted in parties, and in presents, which they gave
away freely and eagerly accepted.

I'd like to thank several friends for encouraging me to post this on LJ. I also have it posted at ffn and AO3.

This is my first (and likely my only) Harry Potter story. It has been percolating for quite a few years, and since no one was interested in taking on my persistent plot bunny, I finally gave in and wrote it myself. There is no Harry Potter in this Harry Potter story. It is very much about Arthur Weasley, his worries, his job, and his ability to cope.

Summary: The summer before Ron's first term at Hogwarts, Arthur Weasley finds himself at the center of a criminal plot.
Word Count: Slightly over 8,700 words, including Author's Notes.
Beta: Dale, of the snorkack Yahoo group. I'd also like to thank the group for research help,

lindahoyland for Brit-picking, and my husband for being a sounding board.
Rating: mild PG, for spells used in kidnapping

The Temptation of Arthur Weasley ( Read more... )

Hmm...that's my only HP icon.

Today I posted my very first Harry Potter story. It's a little bunny I've been resisting for a long time, and finally I realized the only way out was to write it.

It's about Arthur Weasley, and is sort of an adventure story and sort of a character study. It takes place before Ron, Harry and the others go to Hogwarts.

The Temptation of Arthur Weasley
The summer before Ron's first term at Hogwarts, Arthur Weasley finds himself at the center of a criminal plot.

I also wanted to post it at AO3, but for some strange reason, no matter which way I tried to paste it, it stripped out all the line breaks. I tried both Rich Text and HTML. I tried to copy it directly from my file; I tried to copy it from the doc file at FFN; I even made a private post here at LJ, and copied that, both trying the HTML version and the Visual Editor. The only thing I did NOT try was typing it in directly! No matter what I did, I just ended up with a giant text wall of doom. Any other AO3-ers have any idea of what's up?

And speaking of LJ posts, would anyone rather read it here? I'd definitely put it behind a cut, as it's rather a lengthy one-shot.

All the other places I post are Tolkien-only.

We've been hearing about it all week: the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. I usually make this post in the morning, but had to go to work early. All evening there have been images of the disaster on TV.

People react differently. The DH can't bear to be reminded, but I seek out reminders actively--I simply cannot allow myself to forget. I remember those days, holed up without power with

marigoldg's mother and our dogs, my husband only sporadically able to come home.

The following images are not the ones that you will see on TV. These are my personal images, taken at what was our home at the time. Fortunately the vast majority of our damage was outside our home. We had friends and family, however, who were not so lucky.

( Read more... )

Those are just a few of the pictures. You can see more of them on this post if you want to.

I kept a diary during those long days with no power and no communication. For those of you who are new to my flist, you may not have seen it:
My Hurricane Katrina Diary.

The three fics in my Buckland Flood series are all connected to my memories of Katrina, especially "Hobbit Aid", which was written immediately after the storm and "Lesson Learned", which was written before the storm, and felt almost prophetic at the time.

Ten years ago tonight, I was just miserably trying to cope, and found inspiration in these words:

Beyond all shadows rides the Sun,
And stars forever dwell.
I will not say the day is done,
Nor bid the stars farewell.

And I will never ever forget all the thoughts, prayers, friendship and yes, even material help, that I received from my LJ friends!

The DH found this on YouTube. I thought it was pretty cool.

OK, I am probably the last person on my flist to do this one.

1. What kind of soap is in your bathtub right now.
Suave Ocean Breeze bath gel for the DH. I tend to use my shampoo.

More TMI meme-ish blathering behind the cut: ( Read more... )

I wanted to do some writing and posting this week, but right now I'm only able to use my iPad for anything much, and for some reason it's logged me out of some sites and won't let me log back in. Luckily LJ is not one of them.

For days my desktop has been alternatively freezing up to the point of me having to shut down, telling me a page is not responding due to "long-running script" or simply telling me that a page is not loading for no particular reason. It took me nearly two hours just to look at my lovely Silm B'day cards a while ago. I am SO frustrated.

Tried twice to get into Norton for help, but the page freezes up on me while I'm trying; does anyone know their help phone number??

This is my third attempt to post this. Hopefully it will "take" this time. *crosses fingers*

As promised, here's a pic of the unicorn and lady that the DH got for me last Saturday at a local second-hand store. The figurine is a music box and plays "Some Enchanted Evening":

For some time I've thought about making a post of my unicorn collection (my second obsession after hobbits). The post is pic-heavy, so I've put the rest behind a cut:( Read more... )

My very first unicorn was a gorgeous psychedelic black light poster I purchased in 1970. There was a huge white unicorn surrounded by neon colored flowers and butterflies. It finally became too brittle and fell apart when I tried to reframe it. Many of my other items are not on display. I have a nice unicorn throw, and two scented soaps with a unicorn theme that I use in my lingerie drawer.

Here is Miss Belladonna Took on one of her very favorite sitting places: our cable box!

Miss Belladonna dvr

This has some disadvantages. If she is just sitting, or she is laying on it facing us, no problem. But when she turns her back, it hangs over the front a little bit, preventing us from being able to change channels, pause, or adjust the volume. The DH has taken to squirting her with the "don't scratch the furniture water bottle" which makes her move a little bit. Also occasionally on her journey to her favorite spot, she will step on the buttons on the Blu-ray player and open the disc tray.

Once, in an effort to get her not to sit on the cable box, the DH rearranged the mantel, and placed the cable box between the DVR and the Blu-ray player. Shortly after that, we saw her on the mantel using her paw to try and get the cable box out of the middle! I can just imagine if she had knocked it out. It probably would have knocked all three pieces of equipment on the floor. I could just see us trying to explain that to the cable company!

So, we've pretty much learned to live with it. I don't know why she loves it so much, unless it's just because it's small and square and warm, LOL!

Yesterday was the twelfth, so time for

monthlydiaryday! This is cross-posted from my entry there, since the comm is locked.
( Read more... )

Birthday thanks:

Facebook Greetings:
I got birthday greetings on my timeline from my sister and from practically all of my friends from the Barony of Seleone, and Jo, one of my friends from high school, and from

virtuella and

kayleelupin.

E-mails and E-cards:
I had some nice ones from

rubynye

blslarner

lindahoyland

pearltook1

LJ Greetings:

hhimring

songspinner9

baranduin (who included a picture of an amazing Bag End cake! )

engarian

gamgeefest

ysilme (with a beautiful flower pic )

shirebound (who also posted for me a lovely screen cap of one of my favorite scenes from TH:DoS-- Bilbo and the butterflies! )

cairistiona7 (including Frodo having a reunion party in his bed in Minas Tirith )

claudia603 ( with a pic of cheerful hobbit lasses)

febobe

mums_the_word

grey_wonderer

And I got two stories written for me:

pandemonium_213 ( ( in which Merry and Pippin learn some things about their barrow-blades in Rivendell)

blslarner (in which Elrond comes up with a way to keep tabs on the Fellowship during the Quest.)

And I wrote a slightly late birthday fic for all of you, following the hobbit tradition of giving gifts on one's birthday, rather than just receiving them: Thain Peregrin's Very Large Birthday Gift In it, Pippin gets a special gift from absent friends and loved ones. It is set in my "Happy AU" Eucatstrophe-verse, in which Frodo is still in Middle-earth, and so is Gandalf! So if you haven't seen it yet, there it is.

The DH and I are actually planning to celebrate my birthday this weekend, since payday is today. But the DH did give me a key lime pie on my actual birthday, and told me he's ordered three items off my Amazon wish list. I will find out what they are when they arrive.

The past few years I have kind of had a tradition of giving my friends a new story set in the Eucatastrophe-AU for my birthday. This one is a day late, due to me having an unexpected errand that took me out of town yesterday, and also to some formatting trouble and a keyboard with the hiccups. At any rate, here is my birthday mathom for this year! I apologize for the lateness!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story takes place in my Eucatastrophe-AU, in which the Three Rings do not fade, but are freed instead, by the destruction of the One, and in which Saruman was killed by Quickbeam in the destruction of Isengard--so that Sharkey never came to the Shire. Elves are, for the first time, free to return to Middle-earth from Valinor, and--most important of all, Frodo was healed, and lived on in the Shire, a Shire in which the Edict banning Men never became permanent.

This story takes place about a year after Frodo retired to Gondor (at the age of 83) to work on his book on the languages of Middle-earth. He lives with Gandalf (who also remained in Middle-earth for a while) in the same guesthouse in Minas Tirith that they stayed in after the War. For the first two years he was joined by Merry's son Peridoc, Pippin's son Faramir, and Sam's two sons, Merry and Pippin Gamgee, who were spending time as pages and being educated in the court of King Elessar.

Thain Peregrin's Very Large Birthday Gift

( Read more... )

Remember in this post I said I wanted to try this project next? Well, I did. Pics behind the cut:( Read more... )

5: 45AM--Woke up early, as the DH has to leave early. He's on the last of three days of special classes he needs for his job, and the classes are in OKC. It's a little over an hour's drive. I fix him some breakfast and pack his lunch and see him off to work. Then I settle into my recliner and go back to sleep.

8AM-- Woke up, got my own breakfast, and watched the last half of "Good Morning America". Then I get dressed.

9AM--I was going to walk the dog, but it looks like the predicted rain is imminent, and I have no desire to get drenched a couple of blocks away. So instead I take Sophie with me into the back yard to check the garden. I've got bindweed growing in the cucumber bed and one of my tomatoes needs caging; luckily I have one cage left. Then I harvest some of my herbs. I sit down in the swing and watch Sophie play until the rain begins, and we come back in the house. Check my email and my flist. Make the bed and tidy up a little.

10:30AM--The rain has passed temporarily, so I decide to go run errands now while the going is good. Two bills to pay--the plumber, and the furniture store. I stop at the local video store, turn in "The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies" and rent "Big Hero 6" and pick up a secondhand copy of TH:Bo5A, so next time I want to see it we won't have to rent. Stopped at Braums, picked up milk, potatoes, bread and a couple of other things.

11:45AM--Got home, put away groceries. Made myself a Caprese salad with some of the basil I harvested this morning. While I ate, I watched "Arrow" on Netflix, and then another episode afterwards. I was curious, since I've been hearing good things about it from friends.

2PM--I worked on finishing up some painted rocks I want to put in the front garden. The ones I did yesterday needed to have a few details added, and sealer, and I made one more, a mushroom. I had two rocks that fit together perfectly. I used E6000 to glue them together.

3:15PM--My son came over to return some things he'd borrowed, do some laundry, and also mow the lawn while he was here. I swiffed, and did some tidying up, and I cleaned up my mess from painting. Then I watched another episode of "Arrow". Son left about 4:45, and the DH got home about a quarter after 5.

6PM--I'd planned on having leftovers tonight, but he asked if I wanted to go out. (Silly question!) So we went to Boomerangs, a regional chain that serves diner-type food. The DH ordered the all you can eat catfish dinner and I ordered chicken-fried steak (the portion's hug, so I always have some left for the next day). I ordered brown gravy instead of white since they always put too much pepper in the white.

7:30PM--Got home; the DH was tired and not feeling well after three long days in a row, so we decided to wait on watching the movie. Instead, we watched the episode of "Brother vs Brother" we'd recorded, and then make an early night of it. While he takes shower, I'll see if I can upload the pics I took of today's projects, then head for bed myself.

Pics behind cut: ( Read more... )

His voice is a great loss. He was a great actor, scholar, and fellow Tolkien fan.

Some of you may have guessed by now that I am moderately obsessed with hobbit holes.

Here are some very interesting links to different projects involving hobbit holes.

This is the one I want to try next:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEs3J74Vu8o

Here's a neat necklace:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjz3ZnuP-fw

This is a completely different medium, but it looks really cool
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AcEUDRF8eg

This one in Spanish reminds me of one I made several years ago. It got broken when we moved to Oklahoma:

I wish I could find my pictures of it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7kBoywZ-XY

Love this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40eAm8LpANU

This is a cute terrarium:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQ7aT5WUBlQ

The next two are together; one is the terrarium, the other is the façade of the hobbit hole:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-Y-PKOaHF4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vKVLigFaO0&feature=iv&src_vid=8-Y-PKOaHF4&annotation_id=annotation_418162

Not a tutorial, but really pretty:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0L-7mB-c47k

Not something the average fan can build, but awesomely cool!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X3WnHOEkX8

Today I took a break from the polymer clay, and started on a couple of new hobbit hole painted rocks. I will probably finish them tomorrow and take pics!

I made this little display for the store. I figured it would work for the entire summer; it went up just before Memorial Day, and can stay up through the Fourth of July and Labor Day!

Here's the pic: ( Read more... )

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Dreamflower's Mathom-house

"And laugh they did, and eat, and drink, often and heartily..."

Recent Entries

Yesterday

Political

Hobbit Day Special Reading: Concerning Hobbits

The Temptation of Arthur Weasley (A Harry Potter fanfic)

My very first Harry Potter fic!

Ten Years Ago Today

Misty Mountains Cold

Baaaa-baaa! That household meme...

Arrgghh...

Unicorns

It's Caturday!

July 12, 2015

Birthday thank yous!

A late Birthday mathom for my friends!

Read LOTR aloud: Book IV, Chapter V, "The Window on the West"

(no subject)

Yesterday

Christopher Lee, RIP

Hobbit holes!

Another polymer clay project.