Mark12:30 (AKA Helen) reminded me of this thread. It was 6 years ago and I have now celebrated my 24th anniversary. How time passes!

It's nearly the winter equinox, now and this morning I saw mushroom...frozen in the snow. Do hobbits eat them frozen?

I wouldn't eat them frozen, but I might thaw and cook them...

I STILL want to build a flet. Now that I have two boys, I have a reason.

Okay, an excuse.

Last night I made lembas-- the pizzele kind. Wheat free.

I never made a flet either. Although I now have a home, I don't have a reasonable tree.

I want to meet your boys! Not fair! You know my kids!

Must visit Hobbits! I can smell the lembas!

Indeed you must. What is it, a mere three thousand miles? If you start walking tomorrow morning... I will have time to plant grain, water and weed it, harvest it, grind it, and bake more lembas by the time you arrive.

OK, it's a plan! Afterall, Elves don't mind walking at all!

Should I bring anything with me?

Those amazing wheat-free chocolate chip cookies. Hobbits love those.

Of course, during a three-thousand mile walk, you might eat them anyway. Perhaps you'd best bring the recipe, and we will make them when you get here ;)

And bring the cool tree-stamps. Just a few.

Will you have the flet built by that time?

Hmmm. Good question.

If not, we could go hunting for just the right boards.

And I think we should aim for a young hobbits flet and a grownup hobbit and elf flet above it. If we can find all theright boards...

We could decorate my house.

That's a plan!

Guess what I found? My Hubby working on a secret Christmas gift...HE'S SENDING ME TO HOBBITON! I'LL BE SPENDING A WEEK IN AUG WITH MY FAVORITE HOBBIT! YEA!!!

Yes! let's decorate and build a flet and bake lembas and hike and sing!

Right now I'm snowed in and about to start reading. ..what shall I read?

You found out?!?!? How did you find out?!?!? He's been pretty careful!!!

.....can't WAIT! YIPPEEEEE!!!

He didn't lock the door and I walked in on him when he was making an "airline ticket".

So excited! HelenHobbit here I come!

You're kidding-- he DIDN'T LOCK THE DOOR?

Goofball. Tell him I love him anyway.

Oh well-- so the surprise was a week early.

***trumpet blast***
LO! APPROACHING FROM THE FAR WESTERN SHORES-- AN EMISSARY OF ONE!
***more trumpet blasts***


HURRAH!!!!!!!!

As far as decorating goes: I've done a little surfing and I just so hesitate to spend money. I haven't been on any dragon expeditions lately with which to fill my coffers. So I have a suspicion that we'll be doing simple things, maybe a few curtains, and maybe a few borders around doorways, with vine stencils or vine/leaf stamps, or something. But I'm all ears for ideas. Anyway, do you think you could pack your leafy/ viney stamps? I have... um... four. Total.

Otherwise, I'm all ears for idea(r)s.

Garlands...? Where can I get inexpensive garlands? Should I start with green (I'm a big green fan!)

I'm seriously considering bringing one (or two) of my Ficus trees home from the office, for the bedroom. If you can't move the bed into the trees, move the trees close to the bed???

ALso there is the chaos factor. What to elves do with piles of Stuff?????

...maybe we should move this to the decorating thread...

How the seasons do pass.

The beech leaves have passed through yellow to gold, and the stars are glittering cold, tangled in the branches. The clouds race. THe sky is cold sapphire, the air brittle. Sunset is swift and the evening pitch dark.

Pass the Miruvor!