30 Day Middle-Earth Challenge Details

Melody Muffin of The Splendor Falls on Castle Walls and I would like to proudly invite you to join us for a 30 day, fun-filled, everything Middle-Earth event! Starting the first of November, we will be hosting a challenge in which we will share 30 days' worth of pictures, quotes, characters, and anything else Tolkien. The challenge will run until the end of November. You may choose to do all 30 days of the challenge, or you may participate only for a few days, whatever you wish. The posts you share may be as short or as long as you want, either being simply a picture or a single quote, an essay several paragraphs in length, or something mixed or between the two. Below is an entire list of which post will correspond with which day, as well as a picture containing the list so you may drag it off with ease to your own blogs.

The only rule we have for you is simply to mark all of the posts you do for the challenge with a 30 Day Middle-Earth Challenge tag and share the link either with us here on my blog, Lianne Taimenlore, or on Melody's blog, The Splendor Falls. For example, when I participated in Amy's Celebrate Musicals Week, my link looked like this: http://liannetaimenlore.blogspot.com/search/label/Celebrate%20Musicals%20Week This is to simplify matters when Melody and I post the link-up at the end of the month, it's easy to put everyone together. 

For those of you who don't have blogs, but are interested in joining us in this challenge, please do! Melody and I will be (hopefully) posting every day, so just leave a comment on one of our posts, stating how you would have filled out that day. Or, if you'd rather, you can do the challenge on your Pinterest page! For that, I'd ask that you'd only leave a link to the board on which you'd pin the challenge answers in a comment here on my blog or Melody's. We welcome every and all participation!

Any questions? Please leave a comment below!

Day 1: Favorite Book

Welcome to the challenge! The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion... Tolkien wrote many books about Middle-Earth. Which one is your favorite?

Day 2: Favorite Movie

The animated films from the 1970s or Peter Jackson's more recent live-action adaptions? Tell us which movie about Middle-Earth is your favorite!

Day 3: Favorite Quote

What's the best spoken line in any of the Middle-Earthian books or movies? Please share it with us!

Day 4: Favorite Scene

Out of all the scenes in the books and films, which one is your favorite?

Day 5: Best of the Fellowship

Nine members made up the Fellowship of the Ring. Which member, in your opinion, is the best?

Day 6: Best of Thorin's Company

Thirteen dwarves, a wizard, and a burglar... who would you say was the best from Thorin Oakenshield's company?

Day 7: Favorite Weapon

Middle-Earth is riddled with weapons beyond count, bows, swords, etc. Which one is your favorite?

Day 8: Favorite Costume

Eowyn's white dress, Elrond's council robe, Merry's red waistcoat... there are many costumes worn throughout the various Middle-Earth films. Which one would you say was your favorite?

Day 9: Prettiest Dress

What would you say was the prettiest dress in Middle-Earth? Galadriel's? Arwen's?

Day 10: Most Epic Armor

Battle is nothing new to Middle-Earth, so armor is as common as second breakfast. Who, in your opinion, wears the most epic armor?

Day 11: Favorite Battle

The Battle of the Five Armies, the Battle of Pelennor Fields, the battle at the Black Gate... which one is your favorite?

Day 12: Favorite Location

Middle-Earth is strewn with beautiful lands (the Shire, Lothlorien, Rohan), unforgettable cities (Gondor, Helm's Deep, Minas Morgul), and amazing dwellings (Bag End, the Golden Hall). Tell us your favorite location!

Day 13: Funniest Quote

What is the funniest quote said in Middle-Earth, from either book or film? We'd love to know!

Day 14: Saddest Quote

Middle-Earth is not without its tragedy and sorrow. What is the saddest quote spoken in either book or movie?

Day 15: Best Steed

The horses Shadowfax, Mertle, Arod, Bill, Minty, and Brego aren't the only steeds to be ridden in Middle-Earth, as other, fouler creatures such as wargs and fell beasts are used to get around. Which Middle-Earth steed would you say was the best?

Day 16: Best Antagonist

Sauron, Gothmog, Wormtongue, Morgoth, the Witch King. Who is Middle-Earth's best (or worst, rather) enemy?

Day 17: Favorite Male Character

Who is your favorite? Aragorn, Bilbo, Samwise, Beren, Thorin, Gandalf, Faramir, or another male from Middle-Earth? Let us know!

Day 18: Favorite Female Character

There aren't many female characters that Tolkien wrote, but I'm sure we all have a favorite from the epic few he created.

Day 19: Least Favorite Character

We've covered favorites, now let's get into the opposite. Who is your least favorite character to walk the lands of Middle-Earth?

Day 20: Scariest Moment

Aragorn walking the Paths of the Dead, Bilbo escaping the goblin halls. Which, in your opinion, is the scariest moment to occur in Middle-Earth?

Day 21: Saddest Death

With battle comes death. Which Middle-Earth death is the saddest?

Day 22: Favorite In-Book Song

 Tolkien included many songs that his characters sing in The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, etc. Which song is your favorite from any of the books?

Day 23: Favorite Soundtrack Song

Howard Shore wrote the score for Peter Jackson's iconic LOTR trilogy as well as for the new Hobbit films. Which song from any Middle-Earth soundtrack is your favorite?

Day 24: Best One Does Not Simply

We've all seen Boromir's meme, "One Does Not Simply." They've multiplied all over the internet world. Which one would you say was the best?

Day 25: Epic Actors' Saying

Seen or read any interviews with the actors that played in Middle-Earth films? What is one of their sayings that you consider funny, inspiring, or just plain informing?

Day 26: Character You Pity Most

Gollum is usually the most pitied Middle-Earth character, but perhaps you pity someone else more, or in a different way. Please share with us!

Day 27: Coolest Visual Effects

The beasts of Middle-Earth, the stunning architecture of Gondor or Erebor, a specific fight sequence... much of Peter Jackson's films were shot against a green screen. Do you have a favorite CG (computer generated) location, animal, or action?

Day 28: Most Inspiring Scene

What would you consider the most inspiring scene in any of the Middle-Earth books or movies?

Day 29: Your LOTR Collection

By "LOTR" here, I mean all things Middle-Earth, of course. What does your Tolkien collection look like? Do you have the all the books? The extended DVDs? A soundtrack, or a bookmark, perhaps? If you want to include a picture, that'd be awesome!

Day 30: Best LOTR Picture Ever

Have a favorite Middle-Earth picture that you've either found somewhere on the internet or made yourself? For the last day of the challenge, share the best Tolkien related picture that you've ever come across.

By the way, this entire post can be found here on the 30 Day Middle-Earth Challenge page on my blog. 

God bless!

You're Invited!!

What: A 30 Day Middle-Earth Challenge

Who: Everyone is invited to participate (even if you don't feel like doing the entire challenge, or if you don't have a blog)!

Where: Here on Lianne Taimenlore and my excellent friend Melody's blog, The Splendor Falls on Castle Walls

When: The entire month of November, from the 1st all the way to the 30th

Why: A few months ago, Melody and I came across a picture on Pinterest of a 30 Day Lord of the Rings Challenge, and we both decided that we'd love to be able to do something like that. However, at the time, we were both too busy to do anything with that idea, so we swapped a few emails and decided to wait until the great month of November, in preparation of The Desolation of Smaug coming out in theaters in December, and that instead of only doing LOTR things, we'd incorporate all things Hobbit as well as the rest of Middle-Earth just because we love all of it. We'd love to see you join us! 

Below are buttons for you to share the challenge. I apologize that I wasn't able to get the HTML code to perfection so you could simply copy and paste onto your blogs and Pinterest pages, so instead, I'm going to ask you to save the buttons to your computer, add them to your sidebar or Pinterest as a picture, and then link to either my blog (Lianne Taimenlore) or Melody's blog (The Splendor Falls on Castle Walls). Thank you so much!

 

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to post a comment! Hope to see you all there!

God bless!

Childhood Memories Tag

Hayden of Story Girl is hosting a Childhood Memories Blog Party! There's also a giveaway, so I suggest you hop on over to her lovely blog and check it all out!

Personally, even though I'm 19, I don't consider myself a big, 'ole adult. I'm still a kid at heart, so does that make me unqualified to have childhood memories? Anywho... ;)

First: name 5 childhood memories that bring a smile to your face
(I actually have tons of "smiling" memories, but these are just the first five I could think of.)
 

1. Picking strawberries on my grandparents' garden; the strawberries are sooo good when they're freshly picked and warm from the sun!

2. Driving in a "bus" with my cousins all day to visit Sleeping Bear Dunes; can you imagine 15 people in one vehicle? It was awesome.

3. Building tepees and forts in the woods when we lived on 15 acres with paths through weeds and sumac trees; we also had a dry creek bed that we loved to explore en route to different forts, only the bed housed swarms of bees... not so fun.

4. Playing "Borrowers" by means of carting around borrowing bags and building intricate passages and houses (yes, yes, we were greatly influenced by watching the BBC 1992 Borrowers, which is one of the best miniseries ever).

5. Turning our entire bedroom into a castle for our dolls and hosting balls and banquets; we had The Queen and her sister, Aunt Wealthy; their daughters, Samantha, Kirsten, and Felicity (and yes, those were American Girl dolls); the grandchildren, Amy, Elizabeth, Anna (who was sometimes the servant), Hildegard (the spoiled brat), Madeline, Sarah, Baby Dear, Matt Matt (a.k.a. Stop Thief), Ruffles Potato Chips (don't laugh; that was her true, honest name), and others I can't recall, in addition to the three visiting princes, James, Henry, and Andrew played by our bald Bitty Babies. It had to be a big castle because we had so many dolls there all at once. Well.... it was three girls playing. :)

Now: answer the questions

1. Was there a particular game that you played with your siblings all the time? Hmm... I don't know if we had just one particular game; we played a vast number of things. How 'bout "pretend?" :) We played pretend castle, pretend wedding (Emily Carol, you should remember *that* one), pretend Indians, pretend dog pound, pretend Borrowers (see above), pretend Little Women (yes, we reenacted Little Women, and I got to play Jo), pretend American Revolution, pretend house, pretend explorers, pretend dances... you name it. If we could pretend it, we pretended it.

2. Did you have a special toy/item that you dragged around everywhere you went? Not that I recall. I kinda went in spurts. For a while it was my Bitty Baby named Tabitha Joy (and sometimes Henry; see above), then a bright pink cat with a secret pouch in her tummy, then my Kirsten Larson doll, then my stuffed dog named Smokey, and so on.

3. What was a movie/ TV show that you were obsessed with as a child? Epic favorite? Little Bear! But I also loved Blue's Clues (it was Blue and Steve back then), and then there was also Liberty's Kids which is a wonderful show all about the American Revolution, although we always muted the opening and closing songs.

4. Did you have an imaginary friend? I always had a sibling or a cousin about me, so there wasn't much call for imaginary friends. But I did have a few so-called friends who would visit me, sometimes my shadow on a sunny day, sometimes a fairy flying beside the road as we drove, and sometimes just that invisible evil twin.

5. What did you want to be when you grew up? A librarian. Big dreams, eh? But seriously, that was my goal. I wanted to have a library and write books to put in it.

6. Who was president when you were born? President Clinton.

7. Any song associated with you childhood? Any song?? It would be hard to name just one! My family sings all the time, then and now! But I'll see if I can pinpoint a few... Playmate, anything from The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, the Nuthouse song (believe me if you don't know this one, you're missing out), and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

8. Something that scared you as a child? I was never really scared of all the normal things, like bugs, small animals, the dark, heights, etc. It was the BIG stuff that scared me such as talking to someone I didn't know, but that hasn't changed much. I'm still not a big talker. OR, Or, or... the scene when Rabbit gets lost in the Hundred Acre Woods in TMAofWtheP (abbreviated). That scene always scared me silly. I was so proud of Tigger coming to save Rabbit in the end.

9. What’s the food that you like now but back then just wouldn’t eat? Anybody who knows me knows this answer: HAM. When I was a toddler, I loved it. When I was in my preteens, I hated it. And now, I'm just learning to like it again. Weird how your taste buds adapt, huh?

10. Was there any Christmas or birthday gift that you really, really wanted and went crazy about? My parents, in trying to get us to do our chores, once put a chart in place with stars where we could keep track of what we had done (dishes, bed made, etc.) and when we got a certain number of stars at the end of the month/chart, we were awarded a special gift. Of the three girls participating in this growing lesson, I finished all my stars first and I got this bea.u.ti.ful princess dress from American Girl. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, considering we hardly ever got something like that, but I loved that dress. I still have it, worn as it is. 

God bless!

Emma Tag Questions

Miss Woodhouse of Elinor, Elizabeth, and Emma and Abilaine of Miss Emma Woodhouse are hosting a Jane Austen's Emma Week!! Go on over to their blogs and check it out! 


Here are my answers to the Emma tag questions:

Did you read the book or watch an adaption first? I read the book first. Then I saw the Gwyneth Paltrow Emma, then Kate Beckinsale, then Romola Garai.

How many times have you read Emma? Once, but I hope to make that twice before the year is out. :)

Your favorite adaption is? Is there any question? BBC Emma 2009!!!

Does Emma’s matchmaking ‘skills’ annoy you?  Not really. I don't mind watching and reading it take place (some of it is rather fun to watch unfold), but I'd hate it if Emma tried to make a match for me!

List three minor characters you like in the story. Mr. Woodhouse, Miss Bates, and Mr. John Knightley.

Which character is the most annoying of the three? Mrs. Elton, Mr. Elton or Miss Bates? Definitely Mr. Elton. I love listening to Miss Bates's chatter (I don't see how anyone truthfully can imagine her annoying), and I can stomach Mrs. Elton's comments about Maple Grove and musical clubs, but Mr. Elton, that slimy snake, is something different altogether.

Have you seen any Emma spinoffs? (meaning modern adaptions like the original story) Nope. Just that good, 'ole, real period drama.

The perfect sum-up of Mr. Knightley is? A perfect gentleman who scolds in love and is willing to sacrifice his own comforts and preferences for the woman he loves.

Described what you think of Emma herself in three words or less. Handsome, clever, rich. :) I'm not just quoting; I really think this!!

Harriet Smith receives a proposal from ____? Robert Martin. Duh. The man she truly loves and should have been with from the beginning of the story if Emma had not had the reprehensible urge to meddle.

Your most enjoyed scene is? That's a tough one. Love the 2009 Knightley Fightley scene where Emma is placing flowers while she and Mr. Knightley discuss Harriet and Robert Martin. Emma's frustration at the end when he walks out only to walk back in again to finish his comments is so Emma. :)

The villain is? Ugh. Mr. Elton. Definitely. How could that snake be otherwise? Mrs. Elton also makes a rather good "villainess."

Jane Fairfax is engaged to be married to ____? Frank Churchill. 

Miss Taylor was Emma’s ____? Governess in name, mentor in attitude, and friend in love.

Around The World In Eighty Days With Kiri

Hayden of The Story Girl is hosting an Around the World in 80 Days Blog Party! Be sure to stop by her blog and check it out! 


My answers to her questions:


1. Have you ever read Around the World in 80 Days, or any other books by Jules Verne? If not, do you plan to? Don't be mad at me... but I've only read an abridged version of Around the World in 80 Days. Hold on! Before you throw any rotten vegetables, this is my defense: At present, I'm reading through all of Dickens' works as well as The Scarlet Pimpernel. Jules Verne books are on my next to read list. Satisfied? 


2. It's your turn to travel around the world! But you can only visit one country on each continent (excluding Antartica). Which do you choose? One country on each continent? Dash it all! I was hoping to visit more than one! Oh, well....
Asia... Israel. And yes, that's in Asia!
Africa... I'm not too fond of Africa on the whole, but I'd have to be redundant and say Egypt. 
North America... Does visiting all fifty states count? Because someday I'd love to see them all! And fine, if it doesn't qualify... Canada. ;)
South America... Argentina. I'd love to see the Andes Mountains!
Europe... Not fair! I'd love to go on a whole European tour! England, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands... okay, okay, I'll pick just one: Sweden.
Australia... well, duh! Australia! One day I'll get out to the Outback!


3. What is your favorite "foreign" song? The national anthem of Canada... "Oh, Canada!" :) Or Londonderry Air... that's Irish.


4. Do you know your heritage? From which contry(s) does your family originate? I am German on my dad's side, and English on my mother's side. The result: Germish. And then there's Scandinavian, Scottish, American Indian, and a bunch of other stuff thrown in there. Yes, I am a melting pot. But mostly Germish.


5. What is your perferred method of travel? Any travel? :) *looks around* Flying!! On a dragon!! 


6. What is your favorite ethnic food? I love Italian foods... lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, and pizza!!

Who doesn't love pizza??

7. If you had to choose one literary character to travel around the world with, who would it be? One literary character? Ooh, this is hard. One of many that I'd love to travel with would be Wealthy Stanhope from the A Life of Faith: Millie Keith series. Aunt Wealthy loves adventure, and everywhere she goes, there seems to follow fun and chances to be a witness for the Lord Jesus Christ. 


8. From kilts to kimonos, most countries have some form of traditional dress- of which would you be most willing to wear? Does medieval era costume count? Because I love the long dresses from that time! But if you insist, a more modern dress... I like the traditional Swedish type dress. Something like this...

And yes, I happen to have my own Kirsten Larson doll... and I love her!
I'd wear my hair in braids every day if I could make braids that looked that neat!

9. If you could speak any foreign language, what would it be? French. Definitely. 


10. What is your opinion on the subject of hot air balloons? They're full of hot air. They make people look down on other people. They wear flamboyant and ostentatious outfits..... Okay, I'll be serious! I want to ride in one! I love being up high!


11. Okay. Pick a country, any country. Now pick a piece of classic literature (fiction, please!). If that story took place in this other country, what would be different? A country? Kiribati (island nation in the South Pacific). A classic piece of literature? David Copperfield. What would be different? Wow! A lot of things! For one, it'd be a very small world and Steerforth wouldn't have run off with Em'ly because the chances of being caught were too great!


12. Choose five of your favorite authors (or just as many as you can)...each from a different country! Just five authors! *sighs* This could be difficult....
United States: Louisa May Alcott or Mark Twain
Ireland: C. S. Lewis (What? He was from Belfast!)
England: J. R. R. Tolkien or Jane Austen
Scotland: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or Robert Louis Stevenson
Hungary: Baroness Orczy (Everyone else is saying she's from there...)


13. In Around the World in 80 Days, Phileas Fogg is accused of bank robbery. Of course, we know he didn't do it- but the book never explains who did. Who do you think robbed the bank? Theodore and Amos from The Apple Dumpling Gang. Though, how they successfully managed to accomplish that is beyond me!!

14. Does your church support any foreign missionaries? If so, tell a little about what countries they are from! The church we're currently in now is fairly new and we haven't been able to support any missionaries. However, one of the churches we previously went to supported quite a few! I've got missionary friends in New Zealand, Newfoundland, and the Marshall Islands, to name a few.


15. Time is running out! You only have a few days left to finish your journey! You're on the last leg of your trip, traveling through the American West by train, when suddenly Indians attack! What do you do? Call Sir Percy!! :) Or pray for strength and courage and try to think up a cunning scheme to save the people on the train (even if it involved crawling out the train window and gallivanting on top of the car).

Emma Week!

Abilaine of Miss Emma Woodhouse and Miss Woodhouse of Elinor, Elizabeth, and Emma are hosting a Jane Austen Emma Week from June 8th to 15th!! Check it out here!

I made this poster for the big event... I love Emma! :)

Facts About My Family

Rachel and Sarah of Our Family View From Us Two are hosting a Family Facts Blog Event this month! Enjoy! :)

What are some of your family's favorite phrases, exclamations, or sayings? Favorite phrases? We have way too many!! Mostly, we quote movies, so I'll give you a few of the best ones: "Toss me. Don't tell the elf." (The Lord of the Rings); "Sink me!" (The Scarlet Pimpernel); "I don't have that on my computer." (National Treasure); "You told me last year..." (Pride and Prejudice 1995); "Oh, beetle, how I weep to see..." (The Treasure Seekers); "Where'd you get the locomotive headlight?" (Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase). And then if you had to add just one more not from the movies, my family's absolute favorite word is SWELL. 

What's the number of boys to girls in your family? One boy to five girls. Yes, I am one of five sisters. Pity my one, lonely brother. :)

What is your favorite tradition your family has? Christmas is always the time that's filled with traditions. Every December we countdown to Christmas with our "Christmas Box." Each night, there's a special message written, hidden in the box corresponding to the day, pulled out by eager little fingers, and read. The message, usually written in poem form, will tell us what we are to do that night: eat a Christmas treat, bake cookies for friends, watch a Christmas movie, drive around and look at Christmas lights, share something special we enjoy about the season, read and/or quote Luke 2, sing carols, etc. Even though I'm 18, I still look forward to this every year, and Dad has entrusted me and my sisters (the older ones) to write the notes for some of the nights. Though we don't rhyme as beautifully or as hilariously as our dad, it's still a lot of fun! 

What do you call the midday meal at your house? We don't usually call meals at our house. We eat meals and call our friends. ;)

Is the majority of your family morning people or night owls? Night owls, definitely. We'd like to be morning people, but somehow it's harder to get up earlier than it is to stay up later. 

What is your favorite vacation location? :P My grandparent's small beach house next to the Atlantic Ocean. We've gone there every summer for about as long as I can remember and to me it's always been a place of relaxation and family time. We're not really big beach people, but we enjoy taking walks together in the sunset and going biking.

Are your family's weekends usually full of activities such as sports, parties, and outings, or are they more of around the house, fix-it-uppers? Our house is just one of those houses that is in constant need of fixing up, so it's easy to guess which of the two our weekends will be. ;) If we have parties, they're usually always on Friday night or Sunday after church with family or close friends. 

What is the nationality/ies your family comes from? (i.e. Scotch, Russian, etc) My mother's side is mostly English, while my father's is partly German. That together makes us Germish, if you don't take into consideration the fact that we've also got bits of American Indian, Irish, Scottish, and a lot of other stuff thrown in.

Do you go away for holidays, or celebrate at home? Depends on the holiday. Usually for Christmas, we like staying home and doing a family celebration. For Thanksgiving, our new tradition for the last three years is to have a sleepover at our cousins' house the night before the big day so we can bake together. But Fourth of July, Easter, Mother's and Father's Days... they happen wherever we feel they should happen, whether it be at our home or someone else's home.

How did your parents meet? Oh, this will be a long answer. But it's pretty awesome, considering I and my siblings were the result. ;) Moving on... They met at college, specifically in choir. Dad first saw Mom on campus and thought her pretty, but it took him awhile to actually gather enough courage to speak to her. For her part, Mom thought my dad odd and labeled him a geek. They went on a few dates, but she never really thought much about him. It wasn't until a horrific car accident leaving her in the hospital with 70 stitches in her face and Dad started visiting her frequently, that Mom changed her mind. At this point, Dad knew that she was the woman whom he wanted to marry, and prayer was his constant companion. He asked the Lord to give him a peace about it, about whether he should pursue Mom, about whether God wanted him to marry my mom, and God pointed him to a verse in Psalms: "I will praise Thee forever, for Thou hast done it." And Dad knew. The rest of the story (after they went on more dates, which included one totally set up by my dad's sister, involving a nice restaurant and a plant that continually dripped upon whomever it felt like) is your usual glorious story ending: "And they lived happily ever after, to the end of their days."