Wednesday, February 1, 2012

The Pocket Edition.

For Christmas this year I received a pocket copy of "The Hobbit" by JRR Tolkien from a friend who I greatly admire. I have to confess, in high school I was a total Lord of the Rings nerd. I had a "small" shrine in my closet, with posters, the ring, ticket stubs, and a popcorn bucket from the theatre. A friend of mine and I would print off photos from the internet and "laminate" them, aka, putting scotch tape over them and used them like baseball cards.  One time my friend came to school with hair like Elrond the elf, ha ha ha, she came up to me that morning so excited because she thought she could speak Elvish. Truthfully I was amazed by her hair and a new language. Looking back it's strange to me that people think of high school as the "glory days". 

So heres the thing, I just finished reading a fantastic novel full of adventure, satire, sorrow and copious mentioning's of tea and all the delightful treats that come along with it. I love how a good, preferably dead, author can capture your mind and imagination, and lead you word by word in to a place where you feel as if you are a character yourself. I found myself on a small pony with the large party of Dwarfs, a Wizard and a Hobbit, traveling through wooded forests, meeting trolls, climbing up rocky mountain paths, being in storms fighting goblins and spiders, hiding from elves, meeting mysterious creatures all for the sake of a dragon and treasure. I sat in my living room, or Starbucks (mmmmm Caramel Biscotti), my mind and heart fully on an adventure. It was wonderful. There really is nothing like a good book. I am grateful for authors like Tolkien or LM. Montgomery or C.S Lewis and many more who have been gifted with the ability to create wonderful stories.

3 comments:

  1. I have the same love of books and good stories just less time in this season to read them. Wait till you and Joe have kids and you get to see the light in your own kids faces as they take the same adventures...priceless.
    Miss you guys!

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  2. Thought you might appreciate this poem. One of my favorites.

    A Book

    “Now” - said a good book unto me -
    “Open my pages and you shall see
    Jewels of wisdom and treasures fine,
    Gold and silver in every line,
    And you may claim them if you but will
    Open my pages and take your fill.


    “Open my pages and run them o’er,
    Take what you choose of my golden store.
    Be you greedy, I shall not care -
    All that you seize I shall gladly spare;
    There is never a lock on my treasure doors,
    Come - here are my jewels, make them yours!


    I am just a book on your mantel shelf,
    But I can be part of your living self;
    If only you’ll travel my pages through,
    Then I will travel the world with you.
    As two wines blended make better wine,
    Blend your mind with these truths of mine.


    “I’ll make you fitter to talk with men,
    I’ll touch with silver the lines you pen,
    I’ll lead you nearer the truth you seek,
    I’ll strengthen you when your faith grows weak -
    This place on your shelf is a prison cell,
    Let me come into your mind to dwell!”


    by Edgar Guest

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