Fall Equinox and the Bagginses' Birthday
It's funny, it's the first time I've realized that the Fall Equinox and Bilbo and Frodo's birthday celebration (celebrated by Tolkien fans the world over today) is on the same day. You have to figure Tolkien did that on purpose, eh? I suppose there's all kinds of symbolism that could be associated with Tolkien putting the birthday of his two central characters on September 22 and then also opening his great epic on the day that summer becomes fall.
Our principal told the students about the Fall Equinox during morning announcements today. Told them it's when the sun shines exactly on the equator. Told them it's when day and night are the same length. Told them it's a day of special significance in the Buddhist religion. I imagine other groups hold the fall equinox in special esteem, too. Does anybody know?
I've always especially loved autumn. Part of it stems from childhood, of course, since my birthday is in early October, and, hey, I still get to celebrate my fall birthday each year along with my music buddy, Jodi, whose birthday is two days before mine. Still, as an adult, autumn has all kinds of significance and beauty that mean a lot to me.
As a teacher, fall is a time of new beginnings, even more significant than January 1st, what with returning to school, settling in with a new class, taking on new challenges, getting back into a routine after the summer break. As a hiker, the changes in autumn take my breath away and I love seeing the colourful scenery from the van or taking long walks through the brilliant leaves and brisk air. I love the colours of autumn, the golds and rusts and crimson and forest greens. It's a feast for the senses- burning leaves, the smell of apple cider, the taste of turkey and stuffing at Thanksgiving, the sound of harmony at the Ohio Valley Filk Festival! It's my favorite time of year.
And being that it is September 22, let me raise a toast to all the friends I've met and bonded with through our mutual love of Tolkien, with a special nod to those of you here in LiveJournal. You brighten my day with your stories, drabbles, photos, art, mileage updates and LJ posts, both frivolous and thoughtful. I so enjoy being part of the LJ Tolkien community. Cheers to you all, and Happy Birthday, Bilbo and Frodo!
No doubt I'll celebrate tonight by walking four miles closer to Lothlorien and watching the pilot of "Lost" on TV.
Exercise log: Only one mile of walking- had to weigh-in last night. Went up again, only 0.4 pounds, but still... Had followed the new WW CORE plan religiously, walked every day, usually 3-4 miles and did three sessions of weights, so I refuse to blame myself. I'm getting more fit, even if the scale refuses to acknowledge it.
Our principal told the students about the Fall Equinox during morning announcements today. Told them it's when the sun shines exactly on the equator. Told them it's when day and night are the same length. Told them it's a day of special significance in the Buddhist religion. I imagine other groups hold the fall equinox in special esteem, too. Does anybody know?
I've always especially loved autumn. Part of it stems from childhood, of course, since my birthday is in early October, and, hey, I still get to celebrate my fall birthday each year along with my music buddy, Jodi, whose birthday is two days before mine. Still, as an adult, autumn has all kinds of significance and beauty that mean a lot to me.
As a teacher, fall is a time of new beginnings, even more significant than January 1st, what with returning to school, settling in with a new class, taking on new challenges, getting back into a routine after the summer break. As a hiker, the changes in autumn take my breath away and I love seeing the colourful scenery from the van or taking long walks through the brilliant leaves and brisk air. I love the colours of autumn, the golds and rusts and crimson and forest greens. It's a feast for the senses- burning leaves, the smell of apple cider, the taste of turkey and stuffing at Thanksgiving, the sound of harmony at the Ohio Valley Filk Festival! It's my favorite time of year.
And being that it is September 22, let me raise a toast to all the friends I've met and bonded with through our mutual love of Tolkien, with a special nod to those of you here in LiveJournal. You brighten my day with your stories, drabbles, photos, art, mileage updates and LJ posts, both frivolous and thoughtful. I so enjoy being part of the LJ Tolkien community. Cheers to you all, and Happy Birthday, Bilbo and Frodo!
No doubt I'll celebrate tonight by walking four miles closer to Lothlorien and watching the pilot of "Lost" on TV.
Exercise log: Only one mile of walking- had to weigh-in last night. Went up again, only 0.4 pounds, but still... Had followed the new WW CORE plan religiously, walked every day, usually 3-4 miles and did three sessions of weights, so I refuse to blame myself. I'm getting more fit, even if the scale refuses to acknowledge it.