Music is powerful. Something inherently in music provides peace and joy amidst stress and turmoil. At least that is the experience I have when listening to music. There exists a certain universal quality to music that draws all mankind together. Below I will provide examples from literature and the tradition of Catholic Church to show evidence of music’s capacity to unite people through its creative power.
When my wonderful friend Katie invited my husband and I to a charcuterie party at her home this weekend, naturally I knew I had to make something The Lord of the Rings-themed. And because today marks the twentieth anniversary of The Fellowship of the Ring’s US release date, I wanted to share the final results with you here! Presenting: Shire-Cuterie!
“Out of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament. . . . There you will find romance, glory, honour, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves on earth, and more than that: Death: by the divine paradox, that which ends life, and demands the surrender of all, and yet by the taste—or foretaste—of which alone can what you seek in your earthly relationships (love, faithfulness, joy) be maintained, or take on that complexion of reality, of eternal endurance, which every man’s heart desires…”
I’m so excited to finally share our 2021 Tea with Tolkien Gift Guide: a collection of gifts and goods for the Tolkien fan or Hobbit at Heart. Many of these items are inspired by Tolkien’s works specifically, while others are Tolkien-adjacent meaning I thought Tolkien fans would enjoy them as well!
Because our community is one inspired by the works and faith of J.R.R. Tolkien, I often receive messages from folks interested in learning more about how Catholicism influenced his worldview and writings. I’ve created this page in hopes that it will be a helpful resource in this regard. I will be occasionally adding to this list as I come across new resources, so please add a comment below if you are aware of any that I’ve missed.
Happy Hobbit Day! Our tenth annual Hobbit Party was this past weekend and it was such a gift to spend so much time with our good friends. I’m so thankful to everyone who made the journey to celebrate with us, and for everyone who helped out while they were here. I couldn’t have done it without you all — and I wouldn’t have wanted to, either. Here’s to many more Hobbit Parties in the years to come.
I’m thrilled to announce our fall book club today and share some details about it. We’ll be reading The Lord of the Rings over the course of six months, beginning in September 2021. For more details and to join, use the newsletter form at the bottom of this post.
Hey, friends! Today I’m sharing a tutorial for creating your own ‘Hobbit Party’ invitations. I’m really happy with how this year’s invites turned out and I hope you’ll be inspired by these to create your own! This year’s invitation was inspired by Bilbo’s contract from the Dwarves in The Hobbit, and our RSVP card ‘contract’ is my favorite thing about it.
As our family’s annual Hobbit Party is just a few months away, I’ve been sitting down to plan out what I want this year’s celebration to look and feel like. I’ve just finished designing our invitations, although I want to keep those a surprise until our guests have received them!
However, I do want to share the printable menu I’ve just put together. Now that we’re on our tenth year (!!!!!) I really feel like we’ve gotten our usual menu settled and it’s easy to know what I’ll make. I’m sure there will be a few variations but here’s what I’m planning.
To celebrate the wrap-up of our Silmarillion book club, we’ve got activities going on all week! These are my way of saying thank-you to everyone who read along with us and participated in our discussions. I hope you’ll have a wonderful summer break and will join us in the fall to read The Lord of the Rings together!
"There at the last they looked upon death and defeat, and all their valour was in vain; for Sauron was too strong. Yet in that hour was put to the proof that which Mithrandir had spoken, and help came from the hands of the weak when the Wise faltered. For, as many songs have since sung, it was the Periannath, the Little People, dwellers in hillsides and meadows, that brought them deliverance."
While Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is primarily a work of prose, poetry and song are woven throughout its pages like stars across the night sky. While some are lighthearted (such as the infamous “Bath Song”) and others serve as exposition, there are some that stay in your heart well after the story is over.
