What do you "assign" to the Shire?

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Lalaith

Agreed. I was fortunate enough to attend a Royal Opera performance of Lucia where they had a proper glass harmonica for the mad scene. An instrument so rare, with a sound so sublime, that it belongs, in itself, in the Shire.

Interesting idea. However, given the armonica's association with insanity, perhaps that instrument was played excessively in Gondor until it affected Denethor--the staltwart, healthy hobbits being more impervious to such disorders?

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

One example of fear from playing the glass armonica was noted by a German musicologist Friedrich Rochlitz in Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung where it is stated that "the armonica excessively stimulates the nerves, plunges the player into a nagging depression and hence into a dark and melancholy mood that is apt method for slow self-annihilation. If you are suffering from any nervous disorder, you should not play it; if you are not yet ill you should not play it; if you are feeling melancholy you should not play it."

[Orominuialwen]

Painting parties. They're definitely more fun than should be legal. My robotics team got almost as much paint on ourselves as on the walls of our build site.

Formal dinner parties. Especially how amazing it is that only 48 hours after our paint-covered adventures, my team was able to all appear formally dressed (on a school night, no less!) to host a dinner party for all our mentors to thank them for all their hard work and help.

Car rides at night just after it's rained with the windows down and your hair blowing around. The fact that the person giving me a ride home was someone whose company I quite enjoy didn't hurt either.


Perhaps I should just save a lot of time and assign my whole robotics team and everything having to do with it to the Shire.

I also assign prom. Sure, everyone says it's overrated, but I had a lot of fun, even without a date. The only bad thing was the weather (35-40 degrees F and raining) and the great discomfort caused by my high heels.

[Thinlómien]

I assign Ascension Day. It's great not to have school in the middle of a week.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

White asparagus.

I bet Hobbits would love a vegetable that grows underground! Especially when served with new taters, Sauce Hollandaise, and smoked ham...

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar

White asparagus.

I bet Hobbits would love a vegetable that grows underground! Especially when served with new taters, Sauce Hollandaise, and smoked ham...

It looks like all kinds of asparagus are in The Shire! I've already sent the green type! I've never had the white kind as you just get the green/violet type here which we all devour for those few weeks it's available. I think it's suitable for The Shire too, as it's a plant that takes such a lot of care to grow, and you cannot eat any that the plant produces for several years. It must be harvested by hand, and its actually a flower.

That sounds like one of my meals! Its nice with Lancashire cheese, too.

Ooh, and fresh new taters with lots of mint sauce on.

[Elonve]

Originally Posted by Orominuialwen

I also assign prom. Sure, everyone says it's overrated, but I had a lot of fun, even without a date. The only bad thing was the weather (35-40 degrees F and raining) and the great discomfort caused by my high heels.

I assign prom too. Except that at my school this year it was called "Spring Fling" It was beautiful! Wild flowers everywhere! and Candles and storm lanterns with big cream coloured candles...
The food was good and my date didn't mind if I danced with loads of guys.

My curfew was 3:30 a.m. and my parents we're pretty narfed because I got back home a little later than that. I am going to get one of those museum clocks for the kitchen one of these days...


I don't know if I am allowed to do this but may I send Tolkien, the master, to the Shire? I really do believe that he should live forever in his work.
________
LovelyWendie

[Lalwendë]

No such thing as 'prom' when I grew up. Instead we had The School Disco. In the 80s this was at its height of fashion. It consisted of getting dressed up in as much plastic, primary coloured jewellery as possible (all bought for 20p from the market), your best Chelsea Girl pixie boots and sticking half a ton of gel and hairspray on your hair. Then you'd spend the night flitting between the bikesheds where you had some cider stashed and the school hall where you would dance round your handbag to Duran Duran, while avoiding the lads windmilling their arms around in a semblance of 'dancing'. Later you would all laugh and jeer when you found one of your friends snogging a horrible lad behind the stage and try to avoid more horrible lads when Spandau Ballet came on as the last song at the incredibly late hour of 9.55pm.

But the nostalgia for such events, especially when you reminisce with your old friends, firmly belongs in The Shire.

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

But the nostalgia for such events, especially when you reminisce with your old friends, firmly belongs in The Shire.

Hmm. Hmmm. (and that's not Hooom, hooom. ) I would have thought that nostalgia belongs with the elves, in Rivendell or Lothlorien. Aren't the elves the ones who reminisce about the good ole days?

[Farael]

Men In Kilts... no, while you ladies may have a strong interest in men wearing what amounts as a skirt, what I'm most interested on is a band by that name (in which, obviously, the men on the band wear kilts). Best band ever.

I also assign small, hometown bands. There is nothing like being able to chat with them after they're done their show, sure it'd be awesome to talk for two seconds to some rockstar while ten thousand crazy girls scream and yell that they love him... but I much rather have a short discussion on whether or not their last CD should have been longer. And of course, have them call me by my name not "dude" or something. Really cool band, good music, good people going to their shows.... I hope they make it big for them and so that I can say "I've been following these guys since the start" but at the same time, it'd be awful to loose the closeness you have with smaller bands.

[Celuien]

Working on ATM posts at 1:45 in the morning while munching on Rice Krispies Treats, sipping milk and playing with kitty. More generally, all of the fun things that help unwind after getting home from a busy night on second shift go to the Shire.

[littlemanpoet]

Originally Posted by Farael

Men In Kilts... no, while you ladies may have a strong interest in men wearing what amounts as a skirt, what I'm most interested on is a band by that name (in which, obviously, the men on the band wear kilts). Best band ever.

Thanks for the reminder to do this:

I assign to the Shire the best, absolute best, free Festival of the Arts in all of the States, happening his coming weekend in Grand Rapids, MI. Seven stages, starts Friday noon and doesn't end until Sunday 7pm. Folk, rock, jazz, classical, dance, improv, et cetera. and there is a Fife and Drum band too! I will not be missing it. Oh! And great food! Booths and booths of food, international fare and American. Philly Beef Steak Sandwiches. English Pasties. Suvlaki. Szechwan Chicken. You name it, we got it. Come on to my home town and enjoy! There's still time to plan. And PM me if you show up; we'll arrange to see some shows.

Festival Link

Take a peek!