The Calm Before

It's actually relatively warm out today as we await the latest snowstorm. The sun isn't even out and yet much of what remains from Saturday's storm is melting. Thus far we have avoided taking the car out, but that can't last much longer now. And I am not looking forward to playing at Boromir again (for those who don't get the reference, see The Fellowship of the Ring, Book II, Chapter 3, "The Ring Goes South").

Speaking of The Lord of the Rings, on Sunday night I finally finished reading it to my two older children. I don't remember exactly when we started, but I think it was some time before Thanksgiving. Now I am fresh out of ideas as to what to read next. What made this time interesting is that I picked up on small details that I don't remember noticing before (and I've read the book at least once per year since I was in middle school) - for example, the fact that Merry and Pippin's wounds start to heal when they drink from an (apparently) ordinary stream in Fangorn or that it was night when Frodo and Sam encountered the orc-band. Maybe it was because I had to take my time and read aloud.

Along the way, I showed them some clips of Ralph Bakshi's cartoon version of The Lord of the Rings as well as some trailers from the remake. My daughter's reaction upon seeing Liv Tyler riding upon Asfaloth and brandishing a scimitar was priceless. "Who's that?" she asked. "That's supposed to be Arwen," I replied. "ARWEN?!" she exclaimed. Yes, in one word she managed to sum up my feelings about the movies, too. But that is fodder for another post.