Remembering Linda

Michael brought home the DVD for “The Hobbit.”  Of course I watched it.  I’ve written of the Tolkien stories before in these blogs

I first found The Hobbit when I was in about the sixth or seventh grade, perhaps 1957.  It may have been before that because I began reading from the adult section as soon as I was allowed.  I believe that was at the beginning of the eight grade.  I found The Hobbit in the children’s section of the library.  I can even remember exactly where I was standing when I found it—in the front left hand corner of the library.  There was a shelf section of about eight feet or so between the corner and the window.  The hobbit was on the second or third shelf in about the middle.  I remember because I went back there to pick up The Hobbit again several times even after I graduated to the adult section.  It was considered a “children’s book.”

The Trilogy of the Rings did not become widely available in the US until later in the 1950’s and I probably found it in 1959 or ‘60.  I devoured that as soon as I discovered it on the adult shelves.

When Peter Jackson presented his movie version of the Trilogy I was excited to see it, even though many of the exciting portions had to be cut in order to keep it from becoming a long running series instead of three movies.  In the end of 2012, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opened and just a few days ago it came out on DVD.   Michael and Rachael surprised me with it Friday evening.  Saturday morning (March 23) I watched The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey.  It was ‘okay’ but only because I had read the book before.  If I hadn’t known the story I would have said the movie was great.  This morning I watched the second disc.  It was a compilation of ‘extras”—scenes of New Zealand, video blogs about production, and copies of the trailers as well as previews of the games the movie has spawned.

The blogs were what impressed me the most.  They were made to give fans insights into the production and shooting of the movie. 

When I was director of the day care, my head teacher for quite a few years was Linda Mitchell.  I’m not sure how she became involved in day care but she was an excellent early childhood teacher without the degree in early childhood education.  Her first love however was the theater and movies.  Her bachelor’s degree was in Theater, I believe.  She was involved the local little theater group, interested in movies and sci fi conventions. We spent a lot of time, in between the business of caring for children and the needs of the day care, talking about the little theater.  Linda was seldom involved in the on-stage aspects of the productions, the acting, singing, dancing, etc.  She was interested in the back stage production.

 These video blogs have brought memories of her back in force.  How she would have loved the scope and wonder of the Rings and the Hobbit!  The intricacies involved in costuming especially would have drawn her in.  I was amazed to see the actors and then the dwarves they became.  Because there were 13 of them and they were the ‘stars’ of the show, their costumes involved foot after foot after foot of costumes for the myriad of scenes and actions.  Transforming them from men into dwarves required several hours of make-up.  I enjoyed watching the process.  Linda would have loved the wigs and prosthetics and actual make-up to achieve coloring that would film correctly!

The set requirements were extensive.  Hobbiton was built of polystyrene for the Rings movies.  For The Hobbit it was built of real materials on site then left for tourists to experience.  The intricate planning and construction was breath taking.  And of course, not everything could be filmed on site so there were acres it seemed of sites constructed on the production lots—the goblin caves, Elrond’s house, the interior of Bilbo’s hobbit-hole.  And they were all intricate to the last detail. It took my breath away.  I could envision Linda involved in each and every part of it, whichever allowed her talents for drawing, painting and creating effects.

For the very first time I caught a glimpse of the reason for her fascination with behind the scenes work for the theater and, by extension, movies. 

Linda Mitchell, you were loved and remembered fondly.

a Friday morning

My ‘kids’ have all gone to work. My dogs are settled on the bed taking their morning nap. I love the peacefulness of this time of day. Not that the rest of my day isn’t peaceful, but this time especially it seems to settle over the world. I’ve often thought what a sweeping effect being right with the Lord has in the lives of His Children. It permeates every little cranny of my being. It affects my thoughts and the things I do. It influences my dealings with my family and others I meet. And when I sit down in the silence, there is nothing on my heart to disturb my mind. And that is a wonderful state to be in.

I’ve been burdened this week because Leonard, my brother in law, Helen’s husband has been in the hospital with multiple problems. I haven’t been able to focus real well on mundane things because I’ve been occupied in praying and thinking about him and Helen. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary a few weeks ago and his illness I know is a terrible blow to Helen. She loves her family deeply and holds them close in her heart. How awful it must be for the companion of 50 years to be in danger of being taken from her. My heart aches for her.

I am nearly finished with The Fellowship of the Ring, the first book of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. If you’ve read here before a few weeks ago I picked up The Hobbit for the first time in quite a few years. I became involved in reading it again for probable the fourth or fifth time. When I finished it, I thought I would most likely re-read The Lord of the Rings as well. That rested for a few weeks but I did start the first book. It is lying on the counter between the den and the kitchen, waiting for me every morning as I finish my breakfast and coffee after R & M have left for their day.

I say again, if your only familiarity with hobbits and elves and dwarfs and orcs and trolls and vast sweeping epics of heroism and gallant feats has been the movie version you must definitely take the time to read the books. It will catch and hold your attention for all 1200 pages.

This is Caradhras, the mountain the Nine Walkers endeavored to climb over.

I found a fantastic site online that’s called ‘Middle Earth Tours.’ If you are a Tolkien fan you will love it. I enjoy illustrations that have captured the feeling of the text. The artists on these pages have evidently read and loved Middle Earth. If your only exposure to the world of Middle Earth has been the movie, this site might encourage you to read the entire series of Hobbit books.

My day has begun in quietness and burdens and awed fantasy. And over it all the Peace of God remains. Isn’t that wonderful?

The Hobbit - the greatest adventure

And while I'm at it,  Here  is the original animated version of The Hobbit.  Peter Jackson is going to have to go some to beat it!  This is the 1977 version. If you aren't a reader and don't want to do the whole book, get this DVD if you can lay hands on it.

Bilbo comes home

When the war of the Five Armies was over and the treasure of the Dragon all divided, Bilbo took only tow small chests and a bag of gold back hom with him.  He and Gandalf set off toward Hobbiton again.  they finaly came back to Rivendale and rested there for several weeks. 

"On May 1  that the two came back again...to..Rivendale"  (If you look closely you can see Bilbo and Gandalf and the pack pony in the center of the drawing. This is another by Alan Lee.)

When they continued on their journey they stopped to pick up the treasure of the trolls and to see them still standing turned to stone.  Gndalf left him on the border of the Shire and Bilbo continued on home alone.   The Sackville-Bagginses were in the process of holding an auction to free up his cozy hobbit hole so they could move in!  they never quite got over the irritation of not getting it! 

And there you have the synopsis of The Hobbit.  I encourage you to read it.

We have company from Kentucky this week.  Michael's sister, Sarah, and her fiance, Billy, arrived with Billy's brother, Nicky last evening.  They a re going to be here for a few days.

And Today is Rachael's birthday.  She is 33.  Unbelievable.  I was just writing on Chosen Highway about the stress and depression I went through right after she was born. And now I'm reminded that was a long time ago

Tuesday morning

At the entrance to Mirkwood

I left Bilbo this morning just starting out through the Old Forest, Mirkwood, on his journey east with the company of dwarves to the mountain of the dragon. The dwarves had been forced to free the ponies given them by Beorn and now have to carry on with all of their supplies on their own backs.  Gandalf had just left them to go on alone because he had 'pressing business away south.' 

Entering Mirkwood *

I read The Hobbit every morning after I’ve finished packing lunches and am waiting for the lazybones to come down stairs.

It is a cold and gray day here in Westerville today. The weatherman is promising a lot of rain by this afternoon. I suppose I should go and let the dogs out one more time before R & M get home because after it rains I can’t bring them in. They will be all wet and getting them dried them off good is more than I can do when they are really sloppy. Winter is coming.

I don’t think anyone will be taking a sleigh “over the river and through the woods” this year though. At least I will be surprised if there is that much snow.

* I forgot to say that these illustrations are by Ted Nasmith, another Tolkien illustrator.  To do a superior job, the artist has to love the stories.  And Mr. Nasmith must!