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Between Green Door and Gold Ring  by Larner 10 Review(s)
SoledadReviewed Chapter: 5 on 7/13/2009
Oh, lovely! It seems I've missed this chapter. I so love Bell Gamgee and the stories featuring her. She's such an underappreciated character.

Author Reply: I love including Bell when I can. In my-verse she lived a few years after Frodo's coming, so was one he also thought of as a surrogate mother for himself, alongside Esmeralda.

Thanks so!

harrowcatReviewed Chapter: 5 on 7/12/2009
I loved all of this one Larner. Bell will make good use of this treasure trove much more than she would of gold and jools.

Author Reply: Oh, yes--a more tangible treasure this for such a one as Bell Gamgee! Thanks again!

KittyReviewed Chapter: 5 on 5/16/2009
Poor Bell! I so can see her excitement at the thought to tell Ham just this day that another baby is on the way, and then she can't be sure, and when she returns from the healer, pretty much everything has gone wrong at home! That's not how one imagines his birthday!

She felt him stiffen. “Too big fer faunt!” he declared.
Smiling more broadly to herself, she stroked his hair from his eyes. “And are ye now? Too big fer laps, then? Too big fer snuggles?”
She could feel his alarm at the thought. “No, Mummy--not too big!”
Oh, that was cute!

Oooh, what a birthday gift for Bell! (Even if was not a birthday gift, strictly speaking *grin*) Dear Frodo and Bilbo, to give that to Bell! It was just the perfect gift for her - she must be quite overwhelmed to own such a treasure now. And it seems the little one wanted to celebrate with his Mum, too ;)

Quite the emotional turnaround, from disappointment to happiness. And a lovely story, Larner!

Author Reply: Yes, I think Marigold-to-be is quite glad to share the happiness of her mother. And I'd think Bell would feel very relieved and joyful at that moment of awareness!

And I haven't met a child yet who liked being addressed as a baby or toddler, even when they were! So glad you like the interaction here between Bell and our Sam!

As for the gift--I wanted to explain how these items got into Bell's hands to end up eventually in the hands of Marigold and Daisy.

Thanks so very much, Kitty. A tribute to mothers everywhere!

Linda HoylandReviewed Chapter: 5 on 5/15/2009
How quickly things can change! You truly brought Bell to life here.

Author Reply: Oh, I'm so glad you feel I helped give substance to her. And you are certainly right about how quickly things can change!

Thanks so, Linda!

SunnyReviewed Chapter: 5 on 5/12/2009
Logic – you may love it or hate it, when you respect it, matters are more likely to make sense than when you don’t.

Once upon a time, you wrote a story of Nerdanel making tools and gemstones. Those tools would certainly have been of superior quality, so how would some of them have come into the possession of someone of very modest means, like the Gamgees? Bilbo making a present of them would certainly not have been unreasonable. :-)

And apart from that, this is a very charming little story.


Author Reply: Yes, those gems and tools Nerdanel made, as well as a good deal more also made in the spirit of love and hope and defiance of the dark, keep finding new holders who will use them well. And here a Hobbitess of modest means finds herself with a good deal more than she could ever hope to obtain on her own, and some of this will go on to still other holders yet!

Am so glad you like this, and particularly hope you enjoyed seeing our Sam when he was yet a small child. Thanks so!

AndreaReviewed Chapter: 5 on 5/12/2009
She felt him stiffen. “Too big fer faunt!” he declared

Smiling more broadly to herself, she stroked his hair from his eyes. “And are ye now? Too big fer laps, then? Too big fer snuggles?”

She could feel his alarm at the thought. “No, Mummy--not too big!”


Cute! I like little Sammy!

Bilbo's (and Frodo's) gift was perfect for Bell, and somehow it's typical of Bilbo to fear at first that she might not like it. In fact it was a treasure!

The happiest moment of Bell's special day, however, was when she finally could *feel* the newest addition to her family :)

Author Reply: You are right there, Andrea. Feeling her coming Marigold making her first independent movements would have been the most delightful joy of all.

Am so glad you feel I caught Bilbo right, and I can so imagine responsible little Sam wanting to think himself too big to be a faunt until he realized it's the right of a faunt to be cuddled!

Thanks so very much!

AntaneReviewed Chapter: 5 on 5/12/2009
What a wonderful gift to give - new life! And that gift from Primula, Frodo and Bilbo will indeed come in handy. Love most that Sam is not old for snuggling - thank God he never outgrew that! What a sweet thing for him to say, that he's better now that his mum is with him.

Namarie, God bless, Antane :)

Author Reply: Yes, a wonderful gift to share, and especially when that new life is conceived in an environment of mutual love and trust with the support of family and friends to see to it that new life is always supported. The Gaffer and Bell gave the Shire so many wonderful and capable children, all of whom enriched it, I am certain.

Sam was three when Marigold was born, according to the family trees, so it's a joy to think he'd be talking and wanting to be seen a proper lad, but still was glad when Mummy was there to see to his owies! Heh!

And Nerdanel's tools find a new keeper....

Thank you so, Antane!

6336Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 5/12/2009
Oh, what a lovely gift for Bell, for her last little flower for the Gaffer!
More please,
Lynda

Author Reply: Am so glad you like it, Lynda! Thank you so!

shireboundReviewed Chapter: 5 on 5/12/2009
"It’s a treasure as ye’d give her--a treasure fer one as is more’n a treasure fer me!”

There's so much love in this story. What a delight.

Author Reply: Well, I had to write a sequel of sorts for both "Dancing the New Year In" and "The Craft of the Elven Smith," after all. Yes, I'm certain that there was a good deal of love there in Number 3, Bagshot Row.

Thanks so, Shirebound.

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 5 on 5/12/2009
I love this! I've always imagined Primula as gifted with a needle and well-known for her knitting, embroidery, etc. The idea that her workbox could go to Bell seems like a wonderful one! How delightful!

(And of course, Bilbo had to say it wasn't a birthday gift because it was after lunch, but we know, don't we? *grin*)

Author Reply: I, too, have thought that way as well, as you know, Dreamflower. And as I'd written part of this into "The Craft of the Elven Smith," I just had to do a sequel of sorts and tell how it was some of those wonderful things had come into the keeping of the Gamgees, with a crochet hook wrought by Nerdanel ending up crafting the shawl Merry commissioned from Marigold for his mother Esmeralda and perhaps the dragonfly blanket used by Frodo and later by Elanor as infants and toddlers.

Although technically it's just lunchtime, as Halfast is just preparing it in the kitchen as she and Bilbo speak! Heh!

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