Of sickness, SOTB, and LOTR.

I have been sick since Saturday morning. *hacks* *blows nose* And yes, I really just did! haha It started with a killer sore throat, proceeded to a sinus infection, and has now settled in my chest, as usual. So now I'm coughing and have a fantastic croaky voice (which I actually find sort of fun, I must admit. ;) You can do an alarming sounding hollow groan!).

But the exciting thing is that we did not go to the doctor! Every other time I've had a sinus infection (and it happens every fall and spring, thanks to allergies), we've just gone to the walk-in and gotten antibiotics. But this time, my mom asked one of the "Dr. Mom"s at church, and she advised me to take goldenseal, which is a strange tasting, slightly bitter substance that you add to water or juice with a dropper. I opted for juice, to avoid the afore-mentioned bitter taste. Not that I could taste it, really...that must be one of the worst things about getting sick - losing your sense of taste! It drives me crazy, at least!

But it WORKED! I started feeling better the very next day! I do love natural remedies. :) Oh, and my sickness is obviously the reason I haven't started the grand Week of Clothes yet. ;)

I'm veryveryvery excited about something, but I'll have to wait and see if I can mention it on here. *smiles mysteriously*

Most likely most of you know about Regina Doman's Fairy Tale Novels (and if you don't, do follow the link and check them out!). I'm not sure if you all know about the independent film being made of the first book, The Shadow of the Bear, however! Click the link above the picture below to read more about this very exciting project. I also put the ad in my side-bar at the right.

The Shadow of the Bear Official Movie Blog

We've also started re-watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy for the seventh...eighth...ninth?...time. I'm beginning to lose track! I've also been reading more of Tolkien's writing, as a friend of mine has lent me The Children of Hurin and the first Book of Lost Tales. I LOVE Tolkien's writing! It's incredible how he so completely invented another world, with its own history and mythology and language. I love his style of writing...his descriptions, in my opinion, are unparalleled. An example: Soon after, it chanced that as the gray light of a day of rain was failing Turin and his men were sheltering in a holly-thicket; and beyond it was a treeless space, in which were many great stones, leaning or tumbled together. All was still, save for the drip of rain from the branches. (From The Children of Hurin)

For some reason, that passage really struck me...I could feel myself there, and hear the drip of rain, feel the cool, damp air.

I'm also appreciating his poetry much, much more - the first time I read LOTR, I must admit I pretty much skipped most of the poetry. *looks shamefaced* But it's so beautiful! My favorite of what I've read so far is "The Lay of Tinuviel".

The leaves were long, the grass was green,
The hemlock-umbels tall and fair,
And in the glade a light was seen
Of stars in shadow shimmering.
Tinuviel was dancing there
To music of a pipe unseen,
And light of stars was in her hair,
And in her raiment glimmering.
(first stanza of "The Lay of Tinuviel", "A Knife in the Dark", The Fellowship of the Ring)

Reading his work is just wonderful...it gives you a sense of all the stories there are in the world, told and untold. As Tolkien himself said in a letter to his son Christopher, "A story must be told or there'll be no story, yet it is the untold stories that are most moving. I think you are moved by Celebrimor because it conveys a sudden sense of endless untold stories: mountains seen far away, never to be climbed, distant trees (like Niggle's) never to be approached - or if so only to become 'near trees'..." (from the forward of the The Book of Lost Tales I)

That just gives me this indescribable...thrill! It's so exciting to be alive in this world that is so full of stories, so exciting to have an imagination that can lead you to such amazing places, so exciting to be a writer and have been given the task of recording these stories, both told and untold.