Hobbity Weekend

I had a very hobbity time this weekend. Friday night I went to a church function that included a dinner outside and ended with fireworks. The food was not quite up to hobbit standards – hot dogs and such – but the fireworks were delightful, not the sort one might see at a 4th of July show, but something closer and more intimate. I couldn't help but think of Gandalf at Bilbo's party, especially when the explosions released what looked like dozens of fluttering birds.

The weekend before, I took the children to an amusement park up in the mountains. They had fun, but it was a long, tiring day. We couldn't seem to get everything done, never ate a decent lunch, and left exhausted, so this Saturday, I decided to go on a picnic. I packed a blanket, some fruit, a cooler full of drinks, and some fried chicken. We drove back up the mountain to a park, about an hour away. Being as it was a Saturday in August, it was pretty full, but I found us a secluded little spot right under some trees on the bank of cold creek. The air was fresh and the breezes cool. The children waded and threw rocks in the stream. I sat and read and watched the butterflies flit around and leaves float down the current, not unlike an afternoon Frodo might have spent in the Shire. It felt great to slow down and do nothing in particular.

I need to find more ways to bring the Shire home, slow down, and enjoy the simple pleasures.