Unexpected Blog Party!

WELCOME TO THE END OF THE WORLD!!!

Now, on to serious matters...

You know what irritates me? Whenever I come up with an idea for my blog, LIFE comes swooping down with an "LOL, you thought you'd have TIME for this, didn't you?" and ruins all my Great Expectations. Sigh.

Instead, after a verra, verra, verra long absence, I materialize to post this Unexpected Blog Party blog post, hosted by Nessima over at Arda Nessimava (minus the super-cool accents over the first A in Arda, and the I in Nessimava.) Since I love Lord of the Rings, and am expecting to see the midnight showing of the Hobbit (all by my ONESIE too, if needs be), I thought it would be appropriate to post this. So, here we go!!

1. How did you first hear about LOTR & The Hobbit?

In my family, if you don't read the Lord of the Rings at least once in your lifetime, there is something WRONG with you. Like, WRONG.

I read The Hobbit when I was... gosh, nine or ten, and the Lord of the Rings directly after. I mean, after Bilbo, you want to read about more hobbits. You know? So, I guess I've known about the books for... er, let me think... at least fifteen years.

2. How many times have you read LOTR/The Hobbit? Or have you yet to read it at all?

I don't remember. I've read both LOTR and The Hobbit so many times now I've lost count. They are more hilarious and more heartbreaking each time I re-read them.

3. Would you name your child after a character from it?

For a long, long time, I have wanted to name one of my sons James Peregrine. Now, if and when I get married, I WILL name a son James Peregrine... mostly because James Faramir just sounds, yanno, weird.

4. What are your thoughts on Tom Bombadil? Do you think he should have been in the movie?

I liked Tom Bombadil in the book. However, I feel the addition of him in the movie would have made the film a bit long and wandering. It worked in the book. I don't think it would have worked in the movie.

5. Do you have a favourite piece of poetry from any of Tolkien's books?

I love ALL the poetry!! However, there are some favourites, such as the Lay of Luthien, and all of Sam's poems.

I love THIS stanza from the Lay of Luthien:

"Tinuviel was dancing there

to music of a pipe unseen.

The light of stars was in her hair,

and in her raiment glimmering."

And I love THIS stanza from Sam's song while he's in the Orc Tower:

"Though here at Journey's End I lie in darkness buried deep,

Beyond all towers strong and high, beyond all mountains steep.

Above the shadows rides the sun and stars forever dwell,

I will not say the day is done, nor bid the stars farewell."

6. Have you read any of Tolkien's work besides LOTR and/or The Hobbit?

Yes. I've read The Silmarillion, the Book of Lost Tales, Forgotten Tales, Roverandom, Farmer Giles of Ham, Leaf by Niggle, The Smith of Wootton-Major, and The Father Christmas Letters. Loved them all.

7. Can you write in the Tengwar?

Not yet. ;-)

8. Were you at all disappointed that Prince Imrahil wasn't in the movie?   

I liked him in the book, but he was another of those characters that would have just "cluttered" up the movie. There were already so many prime characters and so many stories, it would have been hard to add another one. Though, I would have liked to see more of Arwen's brothers, Elladan and Elrohir.

9. What would happen if you and Denethor were put face to face? 
Freak! Why you try to burn Faramir alive?!?!?!?!

10. Would you rather reside in Edoras or Minas Tirith?
Minas Tirith. I have always wanted to be a Gondorian. Maybe because Faramir is a Gondorian...

11. What think you of Éomer's armour?
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawesooooooooooooome!!! 

12. What do you think of Boromir?
Loved. That moment, when he keeps looking up at Merry and Pippin, and finds that extra strength to keep fighting for them... *heart thumps. Tears flow*

13. Which is your favourite LOTR couple: Sam & Rosie, Aragorn & Arwen, or Faramir & Éowyn?
Faramir & Éowyn. They were both so alone, so full of sorrows. Then, when their eyes met for the first time in the Houses of Healing, it was a "FINALLY! HAPPINESS!!" moment.

14. Did you shed any tears when Thorin died?
Not the first time I read it. Now, however, I tend to get a bit misty about the eyes whenever I read about his death. He wasn't such a bad dwarf. It's going to be AWFUL when he dies in the movie!!

15. Which is most terrifying of the following: orcs nabbing you in your sleep, giant spiders crawling out of dark tunnels and forests, Nazgul standing right over where you're hiding, or a ghost army that doesn't like you very much?
The Nazgul. I mean, everything is pretty terrifying, but the Nazgul are something else, man. Shriek!!

16. How well would you enjoy life as a hobbit? Would it be preferable to being something like, say, an elf? Or a Ranger?
Hobbits seem to engage in a lot of group activities. I'd like to be a Ranger. All that lovely alone time... 

Have a happy Wednesday, and remember... ONLY TWO MORE DAYS UNTIL THE HOBBIT COMES OUT!! *Swoon*

And now, because I love the song following the tragic moments after Pippin discovers Merry is missing and Eomer finds Eowyn nearly dead on the field of battle, I'm including this video clip. Plus, it's mostly about Eowyn's healing, and her first meeting with Faramir, which I LOVE!

God bless

Cat