To-day, as it remains a holiday, I have been entertaining my five-year old, soon to be six, brother Joseph, who can be quite a handful. He is, of course, rarely satisfied with playing quietly in his room. Granted, one may sit him in front of television, but I dislike doing that. Lately he has become quite a Lord of the Rings fanatic: he's watched the first movie through and through, and we're up to A Knife in the Dark in the book, and rapidly moving forward. I suspect we shall reach Moria by Christmas. To-day we went and sat in the herb garden and (after examining my fine stock of kingsfoil, otherwise known as yarrow) read several chapters while enjoying the warm November sun and breeze. Joseph decided to doff his shoes and go unshod in hobbit style, much to my mother's chargrin. After reading for some time, I declared my intent to go inside and do a bit of studying and writing- nay, we were still quite in Middle Earth. Joseph decided we needed some short hobbit-style swords, so I trapsed down into the woods and chopped down and split in twain a yaupon tree to make a couple short swords. We wandered through the mines of Moria for a while, hewing cave trolls, until Joseph decided we should best make for Rivendell and hopefully find some lembas to eat on later.

He constantly asks questions pertaining to Middle Earth, and one may learn a great deal from the little fellow of the customs of hobbits and their mode of living, which, Joseph has declared, is superior to ours. He has said that when he grows up he will build a house with round doors and windows, in the ground. He also thinks our kingsfoil is the finest medicine in the world. He has decided to make a movie of the Fellowship of the Rings, in order to include the Old Forest and Tom Bombadil, as he thinks it awful they were left out. We are anxiously awaiting The Two Towers, and marking the days off on the calender. Two and half weeks...