“All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.”

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Many years ago I was very much in to reading. Aside from writing and music, it was the only way I felt I could get away. The writings of J.R.R Tolkien and many other authors changed the way I thought about life, feelings, and the choices I made. Of course real life happenings and people help pave the way, but reading was an escape and another point of view.

The quote "Not all those who wander are lost" is particularly meaningful to me in the sense that I've always felt that I had some direction in my life. Even though I may not be completely certain of the exact components I need to get me there, the pieces do always seem to fall in place. I have been down many roads and some have been very unpleasant and dark. I find peace of mind knowing that eventually things do pay off. Along the way you stumble upon little pieces of precious and unexpected things that become crucial stepping stones in the journey to happiness. Not everyone needs a complete mapped out version of their future to succeed. It is those of us who live day by day who enjoy those small moments that have the biggest impact. Sharing those moments with people I care about really gives me more joy than I can comprehend. I am not lost, I am just living.

~~BRIGHT HAPPENINGS~~

Now on to all things less emotional. Sticking to the theme of fantasy (I first typed that as fanTASTY, i should have kept it.) Last Thursday was the opening night of The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey. Jourdan, Natalie, and I all went to the midnight showing. Aside from being completely deprived of sleep and having to sit 3 rows back from the front, here are my thoughts. The movie really represented what I wanted it to in many aspects. Obviously we know that The Hobbit is a Prequel to The Lord of the Rings Triology. It was written to be "60 years" before the LOTR story even happened. In reality the LOTR books were written under 20 years after The Hobbit. The Hobbit was meant to be a childrens book and was in my opinion portrayed as that in the movie, considering all the complaints I heard from people who seemed to think the 2 movies needed to be of the same content. LOTR was originally intended to be a childrens book but as Tolkien was writing it, it evolved into something much darker. The two might share characters and be connected but are not the same type of story. I thought The Hobbit was beautiful and for being the first of 3 movies for a book that was only about 300 pages (depending on what edition you read,) it was really well done. They captured the image of Rivendell, it was absolutely breathtaking. All the characters did a great job, not a huge fan of the Dwarf costumes. But all around it was funny, beautiful and great. Now do I want to have to wait for the next 2? NO considering how long they kept pushing production for the first one, I want it NOW! I do want to see it again just to get a better view and to be less tired! My full opinion regarding people who are not huge fans of The Hobbit or have never read it, I do not think they will get as much enjoyment as say an avid Tolkien fan might.

In other news, Christmas is right around the corner (barf.) Okay I really do love Christmas, or used to. I LOVE and get some much joy from giving gifts. But since my grandma passed away a few yeas ago, I really have not enjoyed the holidays as much. It is a great opportunity to see all my immediate family on my dads side, but we do not celebrate like we used to. I miss that aspect a lot. It just makes me miss my Grandma more than anything, she was the happiest woman I knew even when she was at her worst. She will always be in my heart!

Now that my topics have turned more emotional check out some of the sweetest gear I have purchased in the past few months. If you know me, I have a strong attachment to my hard earned money. I finally have been buying things for myself. Birthday presents all year?