“As they sang the hobbit felt the love of beautiful things
made by hands and by cunning and by magic moving through him,
a fierce and a jealous love, the desire of the hearts of dwarves. Then
something Tookish woke up inside him, and he wished to go and
see the great mountains, and hear the pine-trees, and the waterfalls,
and explore the caves, and wear a sword, instead of a walking-stick”
Happy Sunday! Did you know January is National Hot Tea month? Please join me for a delicious hot cup of your favorite tea while we go on a hero's quest! A few weeks ago, I watched The Lord of the Rings Trilogy with my son who hasn't read the books yet. He prefers to see the movies first which is the opposite of me as I like to read books first, then see the movie and have much more fun comparing the two. It has been ages since I’ve seen the movies so most was long forgotten and it was interesting experiencing them through his eyes. It had also been decades since I read the books and in trying to answer all his questions, it put me in the mood to reread the series and where better to begin than with Bilbo Baggins in the prequel The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
"Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Bilbo reluctantly joins their quest, unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum."
Speaking of Bilbo's pantry, if you want to eat like a hobbit, be sure to dip into An Unexpected Cookbook: The Unofficial Book of Hobbit Cookery, then join me for elevenses while we read.
Both The Hobbit and the Unexpected Cookbook are available to read or listen to free on Kindle Unlimited right now.
If you'd would like to learn more about the Hero's journey, check out Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey and/or Hero with a Thousand Faces, or follow another fictional character as they are put to the test.
Are you ready to answer the call to adventure?
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It has been many years since I have watched the Lord of the Rings trilogy or read the books. In fact, I never got through all of the books. I loved watching the movies with our sons as well. They are full of heroes of all kinds. I remember listening to The Hobbit while on a road trip with our sons. They language was so beautiful, it lulled me to sleep :).
ReplyDeleteAt Christmas I was given a box of Celestial Seasonings Ginger + Probiotics Tea and have been enjoying that.
Happy Reading!