No Admittance Except on Party Business

[radiantfracture]

The Hobbit-themed birthday party went off -- it wouldn't be swimmingly, as hobbits don't like swimming -- but very well indeed. (intertext may corroborate, if she so chooses.)

I styled the birthday my eleventy-first, since it is the 70th 80th birthday of The Hobbit this year, and that plus my age doesn't exactly add up to eleventy-one, but again I think hobbits would approve of fudging in favour of a party, and indeed of the mention of fudge in any capacity.

[ETA: calimac gently points out that I dropped ten years from The Hobbit's age in my first calculations. Enough fudge for everyone!]

Likewise, our numbers were not quite the full complement of fourteen, I don't think, but something like. I didn't run out of chairs, anyway (I had two extra from LB.)

(There were quite a lot of cross-references from LOTR, as my stronger and more recent hobbit memories come from there.)

The beautiful shed doesn't really need decorating to look like something from Middle-Earth -- only the high ceilings keep it from being a ready-made hobbit-hole.

Your Party Name Here

As people came in, they were offered my hand-crafted artisan Middle Earth Name Generator: a bowl full of paper slips. You drew three, and then arranged them as best pleased you to form your name (usually First Last1Last2). The slips are double-sided to offer some options within the draw.

For example (pulling slips at random):

Lucky/Riddle     Creaky/Slop     Wine/Worth

So you might decide to be Creaky Riddlewine, or Lucky Slopworth, or maybe you'd fudge (more fudge!) a bit and be Wineslop Riddlesworth.

I spent a disproportionate amount of my preparation time writing silly words on bits of paper (and cackling) so as to provide a satisfactory experience of divine randomness. Of course, this meant that some words still came up weirdly often -- "skulls" was one.

Now, the day after, I have... a bowl of words. I am too pleased with it to throw it away, yet I have no immediate imaginable use for such a specific set of random words.

Therefore, if you would like a present for my birthday, comment with a request and I will pull some slips for your party name.

An Unexpected Reading

The best bit was the reading. It will not surprise you to know that The Hobbit reads well out loud. We went round the circle and each reading was better than the last (I went first), as thought the energy were cumulative. I worried that the scenes were too long and people might get bored, but no -- even the digressions charmed the circle. From voice to voice, the book's mellow, rolling diction shone through like the grain of good wood.

We shared in a long section from the unexpected party. Then M. read out the meeting with the elves, and intertext and I did a dramatic reading of Riddles in the Dark (I was Bilbo and she was Gollum).

Then there was seed-cake! I'd made a honey cake that came out very dry -- more like honey-plaster -- so it was a great relief that M. had the foresight to make a proper seed-cake (and the tenacity to make a second one after her household dog jumped up and ate the first.)

The Victory of the Nazgul

Next we played two rounds of Werewolves/Mafia, but styled as Ringwraiths. I added a ring-bearer role, though this mostly served to make it easier for the wraiths to win.

(This is the game that destroys your faith in your ability to judge character, or my faith anyway, by hiding murderers among your sleepy villagers and then making you interrogate each other to find them out.)

The Nazgul won handily both times, but I think this was partly because we had too many wraiths -- two would have been better than three for our size of Shire. Anyway, we all dwell under the yoke of Mordor now.

Cards and presents rather made up for this -- it is great fun to get unexpected presents as an adult, and my folk gathered me such good wishes. I was really touched.

Here, I want you to have some too. Please take away a few felicitations with you, some wishes for love and light and happiness, and the blessings of magical owls. God knows we all could use them right now.

(Pocket some of C's cheerfully obscene well-wishes when no one is looking, if you wish.)

Things We Didn't Do

There was no screening -- I banned Jackson's films and we didn't get to the cartoon.

I had thought of having a craft corner where people made furry spats for their feet. I went so far as to buy elastic and some fuzzy bits from the thrift store, but then I had such a bad allergic reaction to my materials that I put them away. I think three things to do was best, anyway. A good solid magic number.

{rf}

Comments

[marycatelli]

Many happy returns of the day!

[radiantfracture]

Thanks very much!

[calimac]

That sounds like an enjoyable party. I love the idea of the readings, especially a dramatic reading of Bilbo and Gollum. Bless us and splash us, my precious.

Would it hurt too much if I revealed that this year is actually the 80th, not 70th, anniversary of the publication of The Hobbit?

[radiantfracture]

...drat.

[radiantfracture]

I don't know if you were wanting a middle-earth name, but here is a combo I drew:

whistle/wise gather/fork squirrel/book

ex. Squirrelwise Gatherbook

[radiantfracture]

You can have a random name even though you are so terribly precise.

Briar/large shadow/hugger honesty/thief

Honesty Shadowbriar, for example.

[derien]

This sounds like an absolutely wonderful idea for a party, I want to do one!

(And yes, I would love a name. :))

[strange_complex]

This is such a lovely entry. :-) I don't know you IRL, so don't know what your voice sounds like, but this entry certainly reads with a very cheerful tone. I am glad to hear that you had the best birthday party!

Please do give me a spare Hobbit-name.

[shewhomust]

Though you don't mention fireworks, we had enough and to spare here, over the weekend: please to accept some random bangs and sparks, with my compliments.

And I would love a name, if you have any spare.

[scioscribe]

This sounds absolutely lovely. And I would never say no to a hobbit name.

[kenjari]

Happy birthday!

(I'll take a name)

[bibliofile]

Sounds like a great party, for you and everyone else too.

Asyouknowbob, Leftover bits of paper are quite easy to store and take up very little space. You might want to save them all in an envelope. It's too good a project not to archive, at least for now.

p.s. -- I'm awfully tempted to use the name Creaky (or even Creakywine) Gatherbook for my not-so-secret identity as redistributor of reading materials.

[radiantfracture]

If you're arachnophobic, I can draw a new card, but --

Spider/tale sky/giggle burnt/warbler

A troubadour: Sky Talewarbler?

A spinner of grimmer fables: Spidertale Burnt-sky

A delightful being: Warbler Skygiggle

[radiantfracture]

It was one of those rare parties that actually goes exactly right, and nobody fell down in the garden.

Mouth/war Smith/melody Shaker/song


A raconteur: Melody-mouth Smith
A songwriter: Melody Songsmith
A legendary foe: Warsmith Songshaker

I admit the names are more human than hobbit in this case.

[radiantfracture]

Thanks very much! I love fireworks. I had some sparklers, but they were forgotten in our revels.

Boot/sky splash/path Pond/cherry

Well, this almost writes itself. Skyboots Splashpath, for one.

[glinda]

That sounds a most excellent way to celebrate a birthday. I wish you light and joy, and will gladly steal away some magical owl blessings to help me through the work week. :)

[agoodwinsmith]

Happy Birthday!

Back in the dawn of time, when I was finishing grade 12 in Penticton, the local radio station had 24 hour broadcasting, so there were the night hours to fill. One of the Gawne boys (I can't remember his name) was the night DJ during the week, and he read from the Hobbit for 15 minutes every night at 3:00 am. :) Your idea makes me want to participate in group readings-aloud. :)

Best wishes for many more birthdays eleventy-one and otherwise!

[derien]

Oh, I love all of these! I'll try to squirrel them away somewhere to use next time I need a pseudonym. :)

[radiantfracture]

It really was!

Whisper/eater brindle/buckle iron/berry

Hmm

Brindleberry has a nice ring, though I couldn't say what it actually meant.

Whispereater is eerie.

Hi-ho. Brindleberry Buckle? Or in a more martial vein, Brindleberry Ironbuck?

[derien]

Also, definitely not arachnophobic - I built a small shelter for the last spider we found on our firewood guarding her eggs.

[marycatelli]

Whistle Bookwise

[radiantfracture]

Perfect! And the books would come when called.

[radiantfracture]

At your service. Finder/dropper rain/torch autumn/heart

Right.

Autumn Rainfinder?
Rain Heartfinder?
Rainheart Torchdropper?

[radiantfracture]

I say go for it.

[wendelah1]

What a fun birthday party!

[radiantfracture]

It was the best birthday I've had in a long time.

[radiantfracture]

I heart local radio. What a great idea.

Re: group readings -- I think I'm going to try to schedule another. Maybe we can make it a hot new thing.

[radiantfracture]

Thank you! Here... are some flowers. Yes, definitely flowers. Definitely not owls.

[intertext]

I am corroborating (late as usual). It was a lovely party, and I'm so glad your birthday was good. I don't know if you recognize the icon I'm using for this comment - it's an elf as drawn by Tove Jansson (for her illustrations of the Hobbit). It's the most hobbity icon I have, but I like the Tove Jansson connection.

[intertext]

If you do, count me in.

Yay!

[ysabetwordsmith]

When I do Hobbit birthdays, I give people things on my birthday. It's most likely to happen when we're out and about rather than at home. But we do have a giveaway box too.

Re: Yay!

[radiantfracture]

What a terrific idea. How does a giveaway box work?

Re: Yay!

[ysabetwordsmith]

First, you seed it with cool things. They can be used in decent shape, or new, it doesn't matter which. It can have a theme or not -- we have one just for books that we call the hobbit housewarming box after its first appearance, and one for miscellaneous items. I refill the miscellaneous one by watching for nifty things on sale cheap. Good costume jewelry and crystals are a favorite with Pagans, pretty little boxes or pouches work for anyone, tiny games or dice/cards with interesting designs are also nice, cute fidget toys, etc. Don't overlook practical things like pencils or rulers that people are always running out of -- I have occasionally bundled spare pencils or pens into the box, and had people squee over them.

Also if you live in a gift economy, even a subculture one, after folks know you keep a giveaway box, they'll often bring you handfuls of things for it. "I was decluttering today and don't need these anymore." I've had friends hand me whole Tarot decks, books, and stone figurines that way.

You can then use the giveaway box in at least two ways:

1) Someone shows up that you don't have a gift for and needs one. Slip into the back of the house, grab something suitable from the giveaway box, and wrap it or pop it into a gift bag. (Keep those supplies nearby.) Then present the gift to your guest.

2) Pass it around a group of people with the instruction, "Put one thing into the box and take one thing out." This is an excellent option for people who dislike conventional gift exchanges because they have trouble choosing gifts for others or getting anything they like. It's free choice. If you're setting up this activity, it helps to give a price guide for buying new, but often the best stuff is handmade or used.

Basically, this is a modern version of the giveaway which has many forms throughout Native American culture. I got it from my grandmother, and it probably came from a Cherokee ancestor. It's fairly widespread across much of the South, and yes, it likely spread from various tribes. You also see it in Pagan circles, and among fannish folks people may call it a hobbit box or a mathom box. (Mathom is a hobbit word for things of value but no immediate use, which are often passed around as gifts.) I'm glad I could share the custom with somebody new. Have fun with it! :D

Re: Yay!

[radiantfracture]

That's even more awesome than I'd imagined. And h*ck knows I have any number of mathoms and boxes.

I don't think our corner of paganism has picked up on this practice. I will spread it forthwith.

Re: Yay!

[ysabetwordsmith]

:D I'm so glad I could pass it on.

Oh, another good source of materials is crafters who make way more stuff than they can use. I've had people throw in everything from knitting to craft supplies.