#ChallengeSeason Challenge Season - Cooking Challenge: Hearty Soup I would envisage either hobbits and men enjoying a simple hearty broth of soup on a cold evening. I start by preparing a simple stock. I often use hickory smoked bacon for cooking. When I cut the fat off, I put it in ...

#ChallengeSeason Challenge Season - Showcase Collection Challenge: postage stamps Philately is the past time of collecting postage stamps. I’ve always enjoyed collecting stamps, but these days I’m quite specific regarding what I collect. One of those things are postage stamp related to Tolkie...

#ChallengeSeason Challenge Season - Art Challenge: Nazgûl / Ringwraith When I draw, which isn’t often these days, I often used to draw on envelopes and then use them to mail letters when writing to friends or family. For the art challenge (the final category I’ve yet to attempt :white_check_mark: ) I thought I...

#ChallengeSeason Challenge Season - Cooking Challenge: Mead Straight from the brewery of Rory Dáin Honeywater who recognised that not every hobbit drinks alcohol - and also accomodating the underaged humans who might wish to raise a glass on Hobbit Day! Mead is referenced on multiple occasion...

I’ve been meaning to get some better/staged shots of my Lego Rivendell set, but haven’t had the time recently to commit to it…oh well, I’m sure I will some day, but until then here are some basic shots of my Lego Rivendell set for the Challenge Season! This took me a little longe...

#ChallengeSeason Challenge Season - Cooking Challenge: Pan Fried Fish At the beginning of an Unexpected Journey, Bilbo can be seen frying a fish in the kitchen of Bag End. I expect that his preparation would be a fairly simple affair, with a little flavouring. To this end, I though...

#ChallengeSeason Challenge Season - Cooking Challenge: Ploughman’s Plate Hobbits are often perceived as a rustic peoples. Hard working, uncomplicated means, simple pleasures. I envisage that, after a day in the field or tending animals a hobbit may seek the comfort and sustenance of an easy to...

I’ve got a few different areas and items linked to Tolkien that I will eventually be showcasing, but I figured I had to start somewhere, so why not with one of my favorite LEGO sets I’ve built. Probably not the set that first comes to mind when one thinks it’s f LEGO Rivendell, but this is...

#ChallengeSeason Challenge Season - Collection Showcase: Wētā Hobbit holes One of the absolute favourites of my collection of Lord of the Rings related items are my Wētā Hobbit holes. These intricately sculpted and painted pieces faithfully recreate (in miniature) the Hobbit holes from the fi...

A somber shadow, grey mists wrap round towers spikes of pearl. The grey ships sailed in ages past, their memory cloaks the vale. Past white cliffs their silver sails would catch the morning breeze. Ever westward they were called, through strange and secret seas. Now past the harbor of ...

#ChallengeSeason Challenge Season - Collection Showcase: board games I have a number of friends who are enthusiastic players of board games. Unfortunately, we are all time poor these days, but over the years I have accumulated a number of Middle-earth related board games. Many I have played, ...

I posted the collection back in March. But for this challenge, I’ll write about what started it all. Many, many moons ago, I was in a Barnes & Noble store looking at… books! While waiting for the checkout line to shorten, I wandered over to the front of the store, where they sell various non-book i...