Happy Bilbo's and Frodo's Birthday

In last night's dream, I swam the Vltava with a couple of witches. I had to give them jewelry as payment for guiding me across. Luckily I had some chandelier earrings that were glitzy and made of gold, and which I wasn't very much attached to. To my relief, they accepted them, so I didn't have to give them any of my rings. I had a feeling that giving a witch a gold ring would be a bad move--too much power. I know it was the Vltava because I asked. I don't think we were in Prague, because the river wasn't as wide as it is in Prague. But it was some medieval city with arched bridges and colorful mosaics on the stone walls that faced the river.

The big deal of the day was properly celebrating The Birthday. I dashed to the store to get a roasted chicken and some berries. I also bought apples and pears, because it's the first day of fall. Then the Sparrowhawk and I went to see the Cheese Lady to get a honeycomb and some excellent cheeses--cheddar, sheep's milk cheddar, bucherolle, and some blueberry Stilton.

We set out our feast on the porch--"yellow cream and honeycomb, and white bread, and butter; milk, cheese, and green herbs, and ripe berries gathered"--as in the house of Tom Bombadil. But I also heeded Gandalf's request to "just bring out the cold chicken and pickles." We did without mince pies, pork pies, apple tart, and seed cake. Not being hobbits, there are limits! We turned westward toward vanished Numenor for a moment of silence, in the approved manner. Now fall has begun. I feel oddly exhilarated by that, perhaps just because the seasons at least are proceeding as they always do. I probably won't feel that way when winter comes! But my plan at the moment is to focus on being grateful we still have winter, in this age of global warming.