The Hobbit Hole III - Journey to the Cross-roads!

[HairOfTheDog]

Welcome to The Hobbit Hole!

Journey to the Cross-roads
The Two Towers Edition

Come on! Come in! -if you would like to have some seedcakes and a pint and relax a while. (If it is a special occasion, we still have a few bottles of the old wineyards left!)

Our first thread ( New Zealander builds Hobbit hole ) reached 4,100 posts, and we thought that was big. Our second thread (The New Hobbit Hole ) held us for over 48,000 posts, and we loved it dearly. We talked about moving to a new thread for the last 38,000 posts, but we are really slow to muster! Finally, the time has come. Tomorrow (at 12:01 am, to be precise!) The Two Towers comes out, and we start a new chapter.

[Overtaxed]

Ping to 28766.

[2Jedismom]

LOL But we have moved a couple of times...this is the third thread, VH&W!

Wasn't that a great letter. I thought you might enjoy it.

[2Jedismom]

LOL!! When I saw Steve that evening after I jumped up and rescued my neighbor's dog...drove it an hour and a half away to OKC...Steve said "Well, that's one thing about you...you are predictably unpredictable." He was smiling when he said it, so I think it's a compliment.

[2Jedismom]

Oh, and on the weekends, I come in late after Steve goes to bed or I come in when he's taking a nap (like now) because he can't stand it when the computer is on at all. He was very indulgent to let me check for the chaplain's email yesterday and then to let me take the time to format it for the thread.

And during the war, I just stayed up and watched the live feed because it was just amazing. 2-3am...staring at my computer Baghdad live feed. Still amazes me what I saw.

[Wneighbor]

but fell in love with and married a Jewish girl I met in college. Now that was a seriesly long time ago.

See, you surprised me when you answered about the first communion because I was thinking I'd heard you say you were Jewish at some point. ha ha figured i had you mixed up with somebody else but now i see.

I am irreveratly laughing too about the Episcopal/Catholic reference. I've been in quite a few Episcopal services. I've also been a history buff since a kid so am familiar with the split... but I misread your parenthetical statement about recognizing PAPAL authority. You know, I'm sitting at my computer, which is frequently on ebay, and I read PAYPAL authority. And I laughed irreverently because I thought you were making light of some of the splits within denominations which really bother me when people start splitting hairs about why they're right and other denominations are going to hell. (not saying that to offend anybody here - i don't go to religious wars unless i have to)

I have noticed in a black baptist church there are quite a few "Amen's" whenever someone agrees with the pastor's point.

Since you brought it up. And said you were checking back for feedback, I chuckled at this also. 2 weekends ago I was a guest at a women's conference at a black Baptist church here in Wichita Falls. A friend from Waco was evangelizing at the meeting and she invited me. This friend is one of the reasons I am a Christian so she is very special to me also. That service was so wonderful. I took both my daughter and one of my female students. We were the only white women in a church with about 150 women. And the remarkable thing is that, with the exception of the church we attend, I felt more welcome and accepted at that church than any church I have visited in Wichita Falls.

I was told when I left Waco to come here that it would be harder to get into a church here and I honestly have to say that the people in churches in this town have turned out to be the most unfriendly people in town. That is wrong. As it turns out, we are attending a church of a different denomination than our home church in Waco even. Both are pentecostal denominations but the churches here in the old denominations just would not welcome us. Since the ministry areas I work in now are all outreach I have to have a church that loves on and welcomes ANYONE who walks in the door - even if you'd worry about letting them in your house.

So, in the last 2 weeks, I've been to black Baptist, a couple of outdoor biker church services and a hispanic Catholic service. I like it. It's all the same God.

[2Jedismom]

Matthew's doing a patriotic presentation at church tonight. I got him an "Old Navy" 2003 flag shirt. It's "army" green. Very cool. Got Josh one just like it. So they'll be wearing the exact same thing, down to their white Chuck Taylors!

I'll post a picture...I suspect it's going to be some major cuteness.

[JenB]

Cool! I do want to see pictures. And tell us about the event...

[Overtaxed]

Afternoon!

Well I didn't get to the zinnias and squash, but I did hand-weed the lettuce, turnips,and spinach. I also gave some of Wneighbor's mint a permanent home along with some parsley, rosemary, and thyme. I'm just a "sage" away from a good song. :)

Anyway...the race is on and the po-ta-toes are in the oven.

[2Jedismom]

Steve is napping now, and so are both boys. I had a fantastic lunch. Steak, eggs, latkes, and biscuits! Now I'm enjoying an afternoon cup of coffee before I go to the church with Matthew.

[SuziQ]

Sorry about unintentionally misleading you about my true age! ( ;

I didn't even notice that you were talking about your age! LOL! Thanks for the info.

It is funny that there are many who will try to decide what an author 'really meant', when maybe an author wasn't trying to make any particular point. Our #1 son said that one of his professors told a story about a famous author dopping in on a Lit. class that was covering one of his books. The Prof. didn't recognize him, and tried to make a point about something the author was trying to say in one of his books. When the actual author said that he disagreed, that he wasn't trying to say that, the Professor actually ARGUED with him! I guess the Prof was so wedded to his own thoughts on the work, he wouldn't accept the truth from the actual author! Such is the climate of Literature Studies today.

[Overtaxed]

I had kind of a big...um...snack around noon. Now I have some oven fries going and steak. I guess I need something green, don't I?

[Wneighbor]

I'm a cradle Catholic, but we got involved with a Charismatic group when we lived in NJ. WOW!

I have been to one of THOSE kind of Catholic masses. I have another friend back home who's from Venezuela. I've visited Venezuela with her. Now, like a lot of hispanics in Texas, this friend would invite me to the parties or dinners for church milestones but they didn't invite protestants to the actual services. (which is why i've felt so surprised and humbled and had to do the right things yesterday!) When we were in Venezuela the family attended some services but did not include us EXCEPT, there was one cousin that everybody kind of loved and thought was looney who had become Charismatico. They all couldn't wait for her to travel to the area where we were so they could introduce us. She took me to church with her. I thought it was going to be a protestant service. But, she was Catholic also! Just Charismatic! It was kind of funny to me that they think she's so far out. But, I really enjoyed the day with her.

[JenB]

Charistmatic Catholics? Wow. I never knew they existed.

[Wneighbor]

I'll post a picture...I suspect it's going to be some major cuteness.

You can't miss with that patriotic motif!

[2Jedismom]

Oh, and I had a side of fresh asparagus from the garden. Mmmmm!

I love to eat.

[SuziQ]

Authentic Asian music is... well, I'm not sure if it's a step up or down from Mideastern music.

It's funny you say that! I bought Yo Yo Ma's "Silk Road Project" CD at Christmas, and the jury is still out on whether or not I like it. I like parts of it, but some of the singing sounds like wailing to me. It definitely has a Near Eastern feel to it; not Chinese really, though one of the instruments played is like the early Chinese version of the cello, except the sound is higher pitched.

The instrument, when played by itself, sound very lovely. When Clare and I were in Maontreal last year, we saw a woman playing it at the Chinese pavillion in the Botanical Gardens. I bought one of her CD's because the music was so captivating. It is definitely a 'classical Chinese' sound.

[Overtaxed]

Eating is one of my favorite hobbies. :)

[JenB]

Well, Clare is an anime fan, yes? She would know what I mean when I say Japanese pop music. Really lovely music, and I love the way the lyrics sound even though I don't understand them.

[Wneighbor]

I usually keep buckets of water standing around, growing mosquito larvae. Then, my mosquitos chase the neighbors back inside their houses when they try to come out, so they don't stand around yakking. Keeps the neighborhood more quiet.

Dagnabit Sam, I read that too late. I just told Myranda and Mac to dump all the accumulated rain water on the plants. It'll take lots longer to get tap water in mosquito producing shape and I have one really bothersome neighbor.

[SuziQ]

I'll post a picture...I suspect it's going to be some major cuteness.

I'm sure I'd agree! Can't wait to see the pics! BTW, are their Chuck Taylors STILL white?