This and That by Lindelea
shirebound · 21 March 2024 · Chapter 44: For Dreamflower: When the King Comes Back (the Buckland Gate)
What a lovely gift for Dreamflower's anniversary. Long live our beloved hobbits!
Author's reply
Amen! Long may they live and their stories endure. (I cannot quite believe it's been twenty years. Where has the time gone?) Thank you, my friend, for stopping to leave a good word or three.
Hai Took · 3 March 2021 · Chapter 43: The Election
Good ol' Sam! Always helping out those who need it without thought of himself. Glad the passenger saw who the best Hobbit for the job was. Wonderfully written, as usual!
Author's reply
Thank you! So good to hear from you. I hope you are keeping well.
Larner · 22 February 2021 · Chapter 43: The Election
A wonderful tale to come out of the hospital to read. I'll give you the details when I can. Lovely details!
Author's reply
O my gosh!!! I was so flabbergasted by your call. I'm so glad you're on the mend! Hugs. Get well soon.
Mirkwoodmaiden · 11 February 2021 · Chapter 43: The Election
Lindelea! I somehow missed this! What a lovely story. And so like Sam always humble and wanting to be fair. Never letting on who he was and respecting the older hobbit's opinion. Nice to see that the old hobbit appreciated Frodo as Mayor so few in the Shire seemed to truly appreciate Frodo. A lovely little story! Hope you are feeling better! Stay Safe! ((hugs)) MM
Author's reply
Hugs back at you! Yes, feeling better. It's amazing what avoiding butter can accomplish. I have cut back my work schedule for tomorrow (Sunday) in hopes of reading more of your lovely writing. (Here's hoping nothing urgent comes in, though it appears my inbox may get slammed on Monday, so I need to read while the reading's good, to mangle a cliche.) Thank you so much for the encouraging words! I have several stories itching away in the back of my mind, in addition to the WIPs that are sitting sadly and wistfully gazing at me whenever I sign in to SoA. I keep hoping that the Muse will cooperate one of these days... Blessings to you and yours. Keep safe, with all this crazy weather and while we wait for vaccinations to become more generally available. And once more, ((hugs))
shirebound · 5 February 2021 · Chapter 43: The Election
But no boasting on his part. Just simple, practical action. He might’ve driven right by a problem when he saw it, as so many others had, as the old hobbit had sat despondently in the dust by the side of the road just a few hours earlier – but he hadn’t. Wonderful. Thank you for this lovely and timely story, my friend. Which of us can ever really know the *best* choice? But we can make the better choice as we see it.
Author's reply
Thank you, dear friend. This one percolated for some weeks, I'll admit. What's that old saying about "best" being the enemy of "better"? Something like that. In this case, of course, I think the old hobbit voted for the best candidate, though Sam's good sense would never allow him to claim that particular title. :) Hugs to you and yours. Stay safe.
Larner · 20 January 2021 · Chapter 42: Crickhollow, S.R. 1420-1421 (Happy New Year wishes)
My beloved husband more than once dreamed of owning a bar, to which I kept appearing to agree whilst in reality going, "NO! NO, NO, NOOOOOO!!!" in the quiet of my mind, and finding--diversions so that the idea never came to fruition. And it was precisely THIS kind of conversation I was trying so hard to avoid! Oh, but the Beris of this world do dither when they're drunk, don't they? Heh! Love this, and had to reread the last one while I was at it.
Author's reply
LOL! I can't imagine wanting to own a bar. A pub, on the other hand... Complete with elderly Labrador making its way from table to table, politely offering to dispose of remnants on the plates. Now that, I might be able to contemplate.
Mirkwoodmaiden · 1 January 2021 · Chapter 42: Crickhollow, S.R. 1420-1421 (Happy New Year wishes)
Lindelea! Absolutely lovely to see a posting from you!! :-)) Delightful little vignette. I seem to remember a fair few parties as such! LOL! Misspent adulthood in England. LOL! Ahhh! the circular conversations of the slightly (or not so slightly) inebriated. I can just see Pippin holding forth with the fun stories of their "abroad" shall we say. As it is with all warriors. They talk of the good times and try to bury the bad times. Lovely! Thank you for this! Stay Safe, Mellon nin! ((hugs)) MM
Author's reply
Ah, yes, those were the days. And we can hope for good times to come, and a time when all the troubles of today are firmly in the rearview mirror, so to speak. Happy New Year to you and yours! Stay safe, and (((hugs)))
shirebound · 1 January 2021 · Chapter 42: Crickhollow, S.R. 1420-1421 (Happy New Year wishes)
This is a delightful end/beginning of the year. Good friends, good food, and good feelings about what is to come. Happy New Year, Lindelea, and may we all find within it the light-heartedness of hobbits and joy in simple pleasures.
Author's reply
Thank you, my friend, and a very Happy New Year to you and yours in return!
Larner · 5 May 2020 · Chapter 41: Nothing further happened that night...
A passage I didn't remember. Funny, how each time I read the Master's work I find a bit my mind usually tends to skip over that now strikes home. Makes one wonder if something else DID happen that night that wasn't recorded by Frodo. Oh, I can well imagine Pippin reacting in this way, and Rosie sensing the disquiet and using a distraction she has found worked before with Frodo and Sam. Thank you for this time to reflect on what it must have been like at the time. My muse hasn't fled, but seems disheartened by the utter foolishness we are having to deal with. Glad you're doing well now. Have a new cell phone, but same number. The ring surprises me each time I hear it, I must say. At least it won't most likely go out of date in the foreseeable future, at least.
Author's reply
Your "wonder if something else DID happen" suddenly brought to mind Sherlock Holmes's story about (was it? I think I'm remembering right) something a dog did not do in the night, which was the key to the mystery. Followed by the phrase "things that go bump in the night" - which might work itself into another bunny. Maybe. I have taken on too much IRL work, and I'm feeling the strain, and no help for it but to put my head down and slog along until I finish this particular quest. Hah, I've had my ringtone for a couple years now, and it *still* makes me jump when it goes off. But nobody else seems to have picked the song I use (one of the not-so-wee hobbits created a ringtone for me from a popular song), so at least I know it's *my* phone ringing. Did you hear "Sam" and "Frodo" are coming to Comic Con this year? Rosie is a wonder, and the brief glimpse of her that JRRT provides shows she has a head on her shoulders, I think. It's not much of a stretch to imagine her working out effective ways to deal with PTSD, even if it's a modern term. I wonder what hobbits would call it? (I think in JRRT's day it was known as "shell shock", wasn't it?) I find the same thing. Things that I glossed over in the past do tend to strike home nowadays. To think as a young teen, I found the Birthday chapter tedious and boring! (Now I love to immerse myself in such wholesome details...) Because Bill's story requires a lot of reading between the lines, I am combing each sentence carefully indeed for all the meaning I might possibly draw forth. That's how the particular line that undergirds this short story jumped out at me. Bill's journey to Bree is problematic in that JRRT told us he was thin as a fence rail and shaggy, and yet there's no hint as to exactly *when* he reappeared in Bree, so no indication of his journeying, except that it had to be in the wintertime because of the "shaggy" part (he would have shed his winter covering in warmer weather). Sigh. Hopefully what I have come up with will be plausible. Thanks for stopping to leave your thoughts. Author Reply: p.s. ((hugs)) The panda-pup just nudged my elbow to tender her greetings.
Larner · 5 May 2020 · Chapter 21: Dressed to the Teeth
Ah, yes--quite the end for that suggestive dress! Love the action!
Author's reply
Hah! I didn't even have to look to see what chapter you were reviewing! This one was fun to write (even though it sort of accidentally slipped into the chapters of a much longer story, and got extracted to form this one...) ((hugs)) Hope this finds you and yours well.
Mirkwoodmaiden · 3 May 2020 · Chapter 41: Nothing further happened that night...
Lindelea! That was so wonderfully detailed. And poor Pippin. It has all been a bit too much for him. Bless him. Stay safe. MM.
Author's reply
Thank you! Poor Pippin, and Merry too. I remember going back to my grandparents' house after my grampa died. It felt like if I just closed my eyes, he'd still be there. ((hugs)) You, too!
shirebound · 1 May 2020 · Chapter 41: Nothing further happened that night...
Ohhh, this is wonderful. Such a heartbreaking... and heartwarming scene. A beautiful and loving chapter, my friend.
Author's reply
When I was writing the next bit of Bill's story, I came across that specific sentence about nothing further happening, and I imagined Frodo sitting down and picking up his pen, after having to break away from the memory of that Shadow, and writing that line. As for Merry and Pippin, it must have been so difficult to go back the first time, I should think. But Sam's Rose is a treasure and knows something of how to bring a Traveller back from horror or sorrow and into the present moment. ((hugs)) Thank you, my friend.
demeter d · 23 April 2020 · Chapter 39: March 25th, S.R. 1419, the Great Smials
"It is going to be all right" the Thain whispered. And in the Woody End, Tookish hunters celebrate as their traps stop Ruffians from entering the Tooklands. On a farm near Hobbiton, Rose Cotton somehow suddenly KNOWS that her Sam will return. And far away, in the city of the Tower of Guard, the Great Eagles proclaim the news that Sauron has fallen, and the King has returned! The Shire's own battle will continue several more months, but at this moment, some of its people have hope. You have linked the Shire to the events in the larger world.
Author's reply
Definitely! I love how you have put all the events together into a cohesive whole so succinctly! The first time I realized that the Shire was still undergoing ever-worsening conditions for months after the victory before the Black Gate, it felt like quite an eye-opener to me. After all, the Travellers had yet to confront Sharkey and send him on his way, and when he arrived in the Shire, it must have felt like the Shire-folks' troubles multiplied a thousand-fold, I should think... Thanks! It is good to hear from you. I hope this finds you and yours well.
jodancingtree · 20 April 2020 · Chapter 40: Flower Fest
Oh, that's nice! I feel like I've had a little summertime visit to the Shire - a lovely break from lockdown in Michigan! Thank you!
Author's reply
That is exactly the feeling I was going for. (((hugs)))
Mirkwoodmaiden · 16 April 2020 · Chapter 40: Flower Fest
Lindelea! That was absolutely delightful! Bill holds the whole Gamgee family in great affection. I love that Rosie has Bill to confide in. I love that Bill is so well cared for in the days of the Fourth Age. Such a lovely story! Hope you feeling better after your go-around with the dastardly stick of butter. Stay safe! My boss has found a way for me to do some work at home so I won't burn through my annual leave quite so fast! Bless her! (((virtual hugs))) MM
Author's reply
It is so lovely to step back and simply write fluff for a change. It doesn't come naturally to me; I seem to find energy in angst and h/c (the "h" part energizes me to keep writing until I can reach the "c" part). But when the Muse is tractable, she seems to delight in piling treasure on top of reward on top of all the good things one might wish for, and more. (Bill's sampling a bit of his flower decor stems from a dim childhood memory of seeing a racehorse in the winner's circle grabbing a mouthful of the winner's flowers... I believe they were thornless roses, but I don't remember the details anymore.) I love hearing what you love! This was a bit of pure fluff, really, sort of a tension-reliever after writing about Bill at the doors to Moria, very traumatic for all involved, indeed. I am keeping well away from any and all butter and cheese (sigh). In good news: I have healed enough to be able to eat chocolate again, which has always gone so well with fanfic. I'm so glad your boss has found a solution to help! These are such worrisome times. I know I am blessed to be able to work remotely. Although the elder cat finds it something of a trial. He has taken it upon himself to bite me on the tendon at the side of my knee when he thinks I have sat too long and need to get up and move around to get the blood circulating. (((hugs))) Hope this finds you and yours well.
Larner · 15 April 2020 · Chapter 25: Rude Awakening
Had to read this again. Oh, but I can so imagine this happening!
Author's reply
LOL, and so after reading this I had to go back and see... and oh, yes! This was a fun one. I find myself imagining the conversation at the breakfast table next morning, Pippin's incredulous refusal to believe Merry's account of things that go bump in the night... (((hugs))) Thanks!
Larner · 15 April 2020 · Chapter 40: Flower Fest
Ah! How sweet this is! Bill is worthy of all the love and labor.
Author's reply
He certainly is! Isn't it fun to spoil people, especially when they're the kind who don't get spoiled by all the spoiling? (Speaking of spoiling, I am eating dark chocolate for breakfast. I have not done that in just about forever. Shhh! Don't tell anybody. :) ) Thanks for the good word. I hope you are staying well. Happy birthday again! (Now belated wishes rather than early.)
shirebound · 12 April 2020 · Chapter 40: Flower Fest
This is such a heart warming, loving, and beautiful story. Such a happily-ever-after for Bill, and so very much deserved. Thank you for this sweetness today.
Author's reply
You're so very welcome. Thanks for stopping to leave a good word. (hugs) May this find you and yours well. Stay safe.
Larner · 4 April 2020 · Chapter 11: A Very (Pippin) Yule
Had to read this again. Loved it as much as the first time. And OF COURSE Frodo would be believed to be the cause of the affair!
Author's reply
Oh, thank you! I was in need of some comfort reading today, so I doubly appreciate your reminding me of this one.
Larner · 28 March 2020 · Chapter 14: The 25th of March, S.R. 1419, the Woody End
It's been a time since I last read this. The Ring goes into the fire, and Hope returns to the defenders, as is right and proper! Lovely look at Ferdi and his wfellows.
Author's reply
Thank you! I posted it a while ago, but it kind of stirred in the back of my mind when I started thinking about the Tooks and their traps. It boggles my mind that this happened in March, and the Tooks had to keep fighting to keep their borders intact until November! Hope this finds you well. Stay safe! (hugs)
Larner · 28 March 2020 · Chapter 39: March 25th, S.R. 1419, the Great Smials
I want my laptop back! I grow to loath typing on this tablet! So, now Eglantine and Paladin have felt the end of Sauron's reign. I've written this from Esmeralda's POV, and it's wonderful to see her brother's reaction. well done!
Author's reply
Typing on a tablet is such a pain! I mainly use mine for reading. The print is a bit bigger than on my phone, which is helpful these days. Ooo, I want to read this from Esmeralda's POV! Which of your stories (or collections) can I find it in? Thanks!
shirebound · 26 March 2020 · Chapter 39: March 25th, S.R. 1419, the Great Smials
What a hopeful and lovely story -- not just for Middle-earth New Year, but for all of us in these times. ♥
Author's reply
Thank you, that is exactly what I was aiming for. I am so glad to hear from you, and hope you are keeping well in the midst of all this (words fail me in trying to find a descriptive term).
Dreamflower · 7 March 2020 · Chapter 38: Sheepdog Trials
Sweetie, this one made me cry. It was just beautiful.
Author's reply
(((hugs)))
Larner · 4 March 2020 · Chapter 38: Sheepdog Trials
Ooh, but you knew I'd love this! Grip and Floss are so rightly presented, and I love how they responded only to Master. Tilion and Griffin approve, while Bettina smiles and pants lustily. No pups, by the way.
Author's reply
I am glad your faithful companions approve! The story is, after all, about distant relations of theirs. Brave hearts and keen minds, and ever-joyous reunions. (((hugs))) Too bad about pups, but perhaps in future...? Author Reply: Oh, wait, that was a brain fart. I mean, Good news about pups! But still, perhaps in future... when the time is right, of course. Author Reply: p.s. I meant to say this earlier but forgot. I was thinking of guide dogs and their capacity for "intelligent disobedience" (I think that was the term?) as I was writing this. Fascinating concept, a dog going against a direct order to protect its human partner.
shirebound · 4 March 2020 · Chapter 38: Sheepdog Trials
. Soon they are jumping and wagging and panting and licking and dancing circles and nearly turning themselves inside out in their joy. I was hoping this would end in joy, thank you. *beams*
Author's reply
A doggish greeting is one of the best feelings in the world, in my opinion. I'm so glad you liked this!