Hobbit Day Hobbitdag

I dag er det Bilbo og Frodos fælles fødselsdag. Det er den dag, der indleder bogen, den dag, hvor Bilbo giver ringen til Frodo og drager afsted.

Jeg har længe gerne villet finde et vinterdigt af Tolkien, men jeg har kun fundet dette her fra Ringens Herre, og det bestyrker min mistanke om, at han ikke kunne lide vinter og sne:

Når vinterkulden tar rigtig fat
og stenene springer i frostklare nat.
Når søer er sorte, og træer er bare,
da er det ondt i skoven at fare.

-- -- -- --


Today is Hobbit day, Frodo and Bilbo's common birthday. Today it's the anniversary of the party with which the book opens, the day where Bilbo gives the Ring to Frodo and set out on his travels.

I have for long been looking for a poem celebrating snow and winter from J.R.R. Tolkien. Today I found this, fortifying my suspicion that Tolkien did not like snow and winter:

When winter first begins to bite
and stones crack in the frosty night,
when pools are black and trees are bare,
'tis evil in the Wild to fare.

Uniqueness ~ ~ Autumn-Blog-Cleaning

I've begun sorting through my unpublished blog posts. Some will be posted as is, some will be finished and published, most will be deleted. As I have more that 100 drafts expect lots of crazy, dizzy, angry, happy and hopefully funny posts to pop up over the coming weeks.

My first Autumn Blog Cleaning post

If you're a Jew and I do not like you, I might not be an anti-Semitic nincompoop. If you're a woman and I do not like you, I'm probably not sexist. Because maybe it's not your sex or religion what's putting me off.

Maybe what I do not like about you is your political point of view, maybe your ideas about people on the dole, maybe your aggressive veganism, your view on public transportation, covid19, or a zillion other matters?

I never understood the former way of thinking. If it really is only this one thing that's defining you and who you are, I truly feel sorry for you, because we all are so much more ...

Some of our characteristics are immutable, genetic. For example: eye colour, height, skin pigmentation (the colour may change when exposed to the Sun), the ability to roll your tongue, biological gender, the ability to taste phenylthiocarbamide (FTC), etc. ect.

Others are changeable: the ability to speak Esperanto, a fondness for Brussels sprouts, wanting to have sex with men, being able to stand on one's head, knowing how to swim, having a certain job and many others.

The failure of  most ideologies is that they put a magnifying glass on one of these characteristics - be it genetic or changeable - and say this it is what defines me, what I am. But I do NOT want to be defined by this one facet of me. It is not the only one that makes me who I am.

Once, many years ago I was at a "museum" where we were asked to answer 8 simple questions, each asked by a computer, tied to a worktable, where aids to answer the questions were given. I only remember some of the questions. These were:

Are the hairs on your head straight or curly?

Are your fingerprints whorls or waves? (A magnifying glass and example of fingerprint types provided).

What is your eye colour? (A mirror and - I think - 6 different eyes given).

Can you smell this? (Two test tubes, one neutral, one stinky -  to me, but obviously not to everyone)

Are you a man or a woman (Simpler times then, today that might have to be: Are you endowed with 2 X-chromosomes? to be equally simple and unambiguous).

Each question was asked by a computer, and as you put in your answer - the man/woman one was the first - it told you: "You are visitor number 845,372 since we opened this exhibition, and 410,785 were like you". Every time I typed in my answers at one of the stations, the second number plummeted. Until at the last station I was told: "You are visitor number 845,372 since we opened this exhibition, and 0 were like you - you are unique!" And this was with only 8 simple questions.

How come some people think that gender, or religion, or skin colour, or intelligence, or eating preferences, or whatever, is the only determining factor?

Sunday Selection :: Colour26 Taknemmelig ~ Thankful

Her er månedens farve. Det er ikke en farve, jeg holder af, og derfor der der ikke mange ting omkring mig, der har den farve. Jeg var barn og ung i 1970erne, hvor alt jo skulle være orange eller brunt. Jeg afskyede de farver dengang, med tiden er jeg blevet mere tolerant, men det bliver aldrig en farve, jeg vælger frivilligt.
    Jeg har dog én elsket ting, der har netop denne farve. Det er praktisk, for så er den nemmere at finde, når jeg forlægger den, hvilket sker hyppigt.

 -- 🔸🔶🔸 --

That's the colour of the Month. It is so not my colour. I was a child in the 1970es, where everything was either orange or brown. I detested orange back then. Since then I've become a bit more tolerant. But it's still very far from a colour I ever would buy.

I have however one beloved item in this exact colour. It's practical and it makes it far easier to me to find this item when I misplace it. A frequently happening thing.

Den der hobbykniv. Jeg har haft den i mindst 30 år. Af og til har den været væk i lange perioder, men jeg har altid fundet den igen. Den er meget solid og god. Jeg tror, den holder mit liv ud hvis jeg ikke får smidt den helt væk.

 -- 🔸🔶🔸 --

This here utility knife. I've had for around 30 years. Now and then I've misplaced it. Often for long periods, but it has always returned. It's handy and durable. I think it'll last as long as I do - if I don't seriously misplace it.

 -- 🔸🔶🔸 --

Og så er jeg mega-taknemmelig. Skribenten blev væltet af et æsel, da han var på vej hjem på cykel. Han slap med en brækket arm!

 -- 🔸🔶🔸 --

And a HUGE thankful. Hubby was run down by a donkey while biking home today. Luckily he only broke an arm.

Endnu en ~ Yet Another

Endnu en af min ungdoms stemmer er blevet tavs for evigt.

Yet another of the voices of my youth has gone quiet forever. And this time it's one of the big ones. I'm going to miss her, even if I never met her.

Tillykke med de 100 år ~ Happy 100th Birthday

Link

And Ellen told me of King Charles' birthday greeting.
Here's a link to BBC: King Charles sends Attenborough a birthday message with help from 'friends'.

Tirsdagstaknemmelighed

Thankful Tuesday

Birketræerne taber deres rakler allerede. Det betyder snart ikke mere birkepollen. Atjuu-uuraaa!

The birch trees are already beginning to drop their catkins, spelling the end of pollen season Achoo-ooraay!

Also, back to my normal Wordle words, I get my usual 4 guesses solves:
Wordle 1.781 4/6
⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜
🟨⬜⬜🟨⬜
⬜⬜⬜🟩⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

The Danish Wordle. I do worse in Danish!
Wørdle #1.578 5/6
⬛🟦⬛⬛⬛
⬛🟦⬛⬛⬛
🟦⬛⬛⬛🟦
🟩🟦⬛🟩⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Og dagens bonus-skønhed ~ And today's bonus-beauty

Kvæde ~ Quince

Tak til Firefox Thank you, Firefox

Nåledag ~ Harikuyo ~ Feast of broken Needles

I dag er det harikuyo - nålefest. Det er på denne dag, man lægger årets knækkede og bukkede nåle til hvile med tak for deres tjeneste og under bønner om at blive en bedre syerske i det kommende år.
Jeg tager ikke til det nærmeste tempel, jeg ved ikke engang hvor jeg skulle tage hen - og præsten ville nok glo temmelig meget, hvis jeg mødte op til messen bevæbnet med knækkede og bukkede nåle og en kage.
Men jeg kan godt lige ideen med at sige pænt tak for tjenesten til de udtjente ting. Og en bøn om at forbedre sine evner i det kommende år? Kan vi ikke alle have behov for det.

Today is harikuyo, feast of the broken needles. Today seamstresses and people sewing bring the needles, pins and so on broken or otherwise rendered useless since this date last year to a temple. There they lay them to rest in soft tofu or cake, meanwhile thanking them for their services and praying to become better in the coming year.
I'm not going to the nearest temple - I would not even know where to go - and the priest would surely eye me suspiciously if I brought my needles and pins along to mass, to bury them there.
That being said, I like the idea of saying a proper goodbye and thanks to broken needles and pins, and prayers for improving, I think we all could need that.

Otte timer ~ Eight Hours :: Sunday Selections

I dag er dagen helt præcis ottee timer lang her hos mig. Jeg har fået en time og ni minutter ekstra sollys.
21 minutter er om morgenen og hele 49 minutter om aftenen. Og ja, det giver en time og ti minutter, men der er noget med de der sekunder, der runder ned og op. Det passer aldrig helt.
    Der er noget med det mere solskin der gør mig optimistisk. I går købte jeg frøposer i byen.

_ _     --    🌄    ¯ ¯    🌅  --    _ _ 

Today in my place the day is exactly eight hours long. I have gained an extra hour and nine minutes of sunlight.

Twenty-one minutes in the morning and all of 49 minutes in the evening. And yes, that adds up to 1:10 hours, but there is something about those seconds getting rounded down and up. It never quite adds up.

This always makes me optimistic, and yesterday I bought some seeds in town.

Mon ikke der kommer afgrøder i månedens farve?

I wonder if not some of the harvest will have the colour of the month?

Poetry Monday :: Piece of Clothing

Mandagsdigtet er en blogleg, som Mimi fra Messymimi's Meanderings og jeg har overtaget - midlertidigt! - fra Diane, der slapper af og rejser verden rundt med sin mand. Vi håber hun er parat til at tage over igen, når hun kommer hjem.
     Stikordene kommer nu  fra 365 Days of Drawing Prompts and other Arts. Det er en Facebook-gruppe, der udgiver et stikord til hver dag i året, men bare rolig, stikordene vil stadig være at finde både her og på Mimis blog.

Dagens stikord er: Et stykke tøj

På engelsk har jeg skrevet en hyldest til det ældste stykke tøj jeg ejer. Jeg fik det forærende en kold og blæsende efterårsdag i 1979 - ja det er gammelt! - det virker endnu, slidt, bevares, og nogle af sømmene er blevet syet igen, men stoffet var helt indtil et ondt stykke ståltråd lavede en lille rift på en cm. sidste sommer. Jeg bruger det stadig i haven, og jeg tror nok det holder nok min tid ud.
     Deter ikke blevet til noget på dansk, beklager, men måske senere ...

- -  A  - -  B  - -  C  - -

Poetry Monday - what's that? It is a blogging game, that Mimi of Messymimi's Meanderings and I have taken over the hosting duties, mostly the supplying of the prompts - only temporarily we hope - while Diane at On the Border is taking a break for health and relaxation, travelling the world with her husband as far as we can tell.  We just hope she's going to take back over once she returns home.

The prompts now come from 365 Days of Drawing Prompts and other Arts group. This is a Facebook group with a prompt for each day of the year, but no worries, the prompts will still be here and at Mimi's blog.

Today's prompt is: Piece of Clothing

I was inspired to write an ode to my oldest clothing item. It was given to me a cold and windy autumnal day in 1979 -- really, yes. It's that old -- and I've used it ever since. Some of the sewings have been redone, the fabric's worn, but no holes until a piece of wire caught it this last summer causing a small tear, approximately one cm. I still use it, mostly in the garden, but I suspect it'll outlast me given half a chance.

You are so old, but still you're fine
For many years you have been mine
you fit me still, though I have grown
you are the oldest piece I own

If you could talk, what could you say?
I'd listen to you all the day
You'd been with me to many lands
Seen mountains tall and shining sands.

Been splashed upon in waters cold
and sneaked through customs - you were bold.
You've helped me out, you've worn my load
and more than once you housed a toad.

You've hidden babies, held us warm
kept rain away, seen many storm.
Now you are worn more blue than black
My good old faithful anorak


- - - - - -  - Coming Themes  - - - - - - - -

taken from the 365 Days of Drawing Prompts and other Arts group.

Jan 26 That one time
Feb 2 Bamboo
Feb 9 Carousel
Feb 16 Plants with berriesb

Fødselsdage ~ Birthdays

På min blog fejrer jeg normalt fødselsdage for kendte mennesker, forfattere og den slags, som har betydet noget for mig.
    Derfor er det med triste miner at jeg opdagede at i går, 3. januar, var J.R.R. Tolkiens fødselsdag. 134 år er immervæk noget at fejre.
    Af den grund, og fordi det aldrig er lykkedes for mig at finde et digt af Tolkien, der fortæller om frost og sne, legede jeg med underlige tegnsæt i tekstbehandling, og fandt ud af at Open Office faktisk kan skrive Fëanors runer.

-- ❅ --

On my blog I normally celebrate birthdays by thoe meaning something to me. Therefor it saddened me to see that I forgot J.R.R: Tolkien's 134th birthday yesterday.

As I was unable to find any poem by him celebrating either snow or frost - if you know of one, do tell! - I played around with strange lettering, and discovered that Open Office is up to the challenge of writing using the Tengwar of Fëanor.

Det læses: nostarë manaitë og betyder efter mine ringe evner udi Quenya, det gamle elversprog fra Silmarilion, velsignet fødselsdag.

-- ❅ --

To be read nostarë manaitë and hopefully meaning, as I think it does,  Blessed birthday.

-- 🎂 -- 

I dag er det så Louis Brailles 217. fødselsdag.  -- --   Today is the 217th birthday of Louis Braille. 
⠞ ⠊ ⠇ ⠇ ⠽ ⠅ ⠅⠑    ⠏ ⠡   ⠋ ⠪ ⠙ ⠎ ⠑ ⠎ ⠙ ⠁ ⠛ ⠑ ⠝

Der står Tillykke på fødselsdagen is what it says, meaning Happy Birthday

Godt nytår ~ Happy New Year

Nej, jeg er ikke blevet senil og roder rundt i år og måneder. Men i dag er det jo 1. søndag i advent. Kirkens nytår. Vi starter på et helt nyt kirkeår.
     Jeg fik også pudset det store vindue og gjort andre ting, men billeder må vente. Jeg tøvede, og pludselig var det for mørkt.

-- 🕯 -- 🕯 -- 🕯 -- 🕯 --

No, I have not yet turned senile and is mixing up days, months and years. But today we began a new liturgical year. A reason to celebrate,

I also cleaned the big window and did some other thing, but pictures will have to wait. I forgot, and suddenly it was too dark.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate!

Sunday Selections ~ Søndagsbilleder Dagur íslenskrar tungu

I dag burde jeg skrive mit opslag på islandsk, da det er det islandske sprogs dag, og islandsk, der jo er magiens sprog på Enhjørningegården, altid har haft en stor plads i mit hjerte. Men jeg tror jeg afholder mig, dels ville det nok tage mig resten af dagen, dels ville det nok være så fuldt af fejl, at det ville være næsten ulæseligt.
     Så jeg nøjes med at sige til hamingju með daginn íslenskrar tungu - tillykke med det islandske sprogs dag.

Today, I ought to write my post in Icelandic, as it is Icelandic Language Day, and Icelandic, the language of magic at the Unicorn Farm, has always had a big place in my heart. But I think I'll refrain from doing so, partly because it would take me the rest of today, partly because it would probably be so full of errors that it would be almost unreadable.
So I'll just say til hamingju með daginn íslenskrar tungu - Happy Icelandic Language Day.

  ---  💙  --- 

Tilbage i januar 2024, da jeg fik fjernet min galdeblære, spurgte jeg om jeg kunne få stenene med hjem. Jeg havde ingen idé om, hvad jeg ville med dem, hvis jeg fik dem. Jeg fik én, den største, på 2½ x knap 2 cm, resten var for smuldrende ... men der var mange. Lige siden har den ligget i en pose på mit skrivebord, ligget i vejen, er måske det rette ord, for hvad skulle jeg egentlig med den? Jeg ville ikke bare smide den ud. Endelig i går, da det var smukt, klart vejr, og himlen en fortryllende lys himmelblå, plantede jeg en lægealant i et hul ovenpå galdestenen. På engelsk har planten meget sjovere navne, elvertidsel eller heste-helbrederen. Det tiltaler mig, og nu håber jeg på at blive stærk som en hest 😃

Back in January 2024, when I had my gallbladder removed, I asked if I could have the stones. I had no idea what I would do with them if I got them. I got one, the largest, measuring 2½ times just under 2 cm; the rest were too crumbly ... but there were many. Ever since then, it has been lying in a bag on my desk, getting in the way really, because what was I to do with it? I didn't want to just throw it out after all the trouble.
Finally, yesterday, when the weather was beautiful and clear, and the sky was an enchanting light sky blue, I planted a plant in a hole on top of the gallstone. The plant was an elecampane also known as elfdock or horse-heal. I hope to grow healthy as a horse now 😃

Den historie tæller også som månedesn farve Plantekassen øverst til højre er ikke helt ved siden af i hvert fald

--  💙  ---

This story also counts towards the colour of the month. The plant container in the upper right corner is not much off.

Sunday Selection :: October ~ November :: Søndagsbilleder

Ja, der er blevet november, men kun lige, derfor indeholder søndagens billeder både

-- 🔶  --  🔷 --

It is November, but only just. My Sunday selection will contain both

the colour of November, and
-- 🔶  --  🔷 --
som er novembers farve og

the colour of October.
-- 🔶  --  🔷 --
som var oktobers farve.

Hønsenes morgenmad lørdag den første november, Alle helgens dag.

-- 🔶  --  🔷 --

Breakfast for the chickens, All Saint's day, Saturday, November 1.

Besøg på Hvalrossens og Uglemormors grave alle sjæles dag, 2. november. Skildpadden er oldebørnenes idé, for Uglemormor kunne godt lide skildpadder. Den skumle kat i baggrunden er én hun lavede, den får lov til at stå, til den er væk. 

-- 🔶  --  🔷 --

Visiting the grave of the Walrus and  GrannyOwl on All Soul's day, November 2nd. The turtle is from the grandkids, GrannyOwl liked turtles. The half-melted cat in the background is one she crafted, it's left to melt away.

Solnedgangen i dag, Alle sjæles dag

-- 🔶  --  🔷 --

Sunset today, All Soul's Day.

Halloween (Blogtober 31)

Happy Halloween everybody

November 2025 ~Colour of the Month ~ Månedens farve (Blogtober 30)

While November in my place is a cold, wet and dreary month whit ever shorter days, it's the start of Summer in Australia. I'm going to let Elephant's Child delight us with one of her wonderful flower photos from her last post, Sunday Selections #833, where she once again opened our eyes for the beauty that surrounds us.

--  💙  --

November i Danmark er en trist omgang, regn og mulm og korte dage, men i Australien er det starten på en til tider meget varm sommer.
     Jeg har taget et billede fra Elephant's Childs opslag Sunday Selections 833, hvor hun for sidste gang viste os skønheden omkring sig.

If you need only the colour chart, it's here:

--  💙  --

Hvis man har brug for en lille udgave, er den her:

Sommertiden er slut! End of DST

Selvom det er sværere at se på YR end det var på det meget savnede Bedre vejr, så ender sommertiden altså i nat!
     Læg mærke til, hvor den blå pil peger. Til venstre for pilen er det de lige klokkeslæt, der er angivet. Men i stedet for at strække et af felterne, som Bedre vejr gjorde, skifter de bare til ulige klokkeslæt.
     Så i morgen og de kommende par uger er det atter lyst, når vækkeuret ringer, og Skribenten kan cykle til stationen uden uden voldsomme lygter, og mit indre ur vil atter være i overensstemmelse med virkeligheden - jeg glæder mig til at sove ordentligt, for sært nok vågner jeg en time tidligere, når vi har sommertid. Det vil sige, hvis vi skal op klokken 7 (der jo egentlig er klokken 6), ja så vågner jeg klokken 6 (altså egentlig klokken 5), jeg kan ikke forklare det, men i løbet af den næste uges tid stopper det fjolleri, og jeg vågner 5-10 minuter i syv, når vækkeuret er sat til syv, sådan som jeg gør hele vinterhalvåret. Jeg glæder mig! Og seneste nyt fra EU give mig håb om at det idioti snart er fortid, TAK

Even though it is harder to see here on YR than it was on the lost and mourned BedreVejr, DST ends tonight.
Notice that left of the blue arrow all hours are the even ones, and after it's only the odd ones, so instead of stretching the graphics, like Bedre Vejr (Better Weather) did they do it in this sneaky way.
But no matter how it makes me really happy. Tomorrow and tomorrow, and for many days after the sun will be in the skies, or almost there when the alarm goes off. The Writer can again bike to the station without using his super-light, and my inner Owl is happy, as my time now again fits the clock. I am no longer going to wake up an hour before the alarm goes off - no, I do not know why on Earth DST does this to me, but it does. Slowly, in the coming week, my inner alarm will recalibrate itself, and wake me up around 10 minutes before the alarm goes off, as it does all winter. I so look forwards to undisturbed sleep again. 
News from the EU commission gives me hope that this idiocy will soon be a thing of the past.

Sunday Selection: RainSøndagsbilleder: Regn

Det har været ekstremt tørt her det seneste stykke tid. I torsdags så vores frøsø sådan her ud.
We have had dry times here. Thursday our pond looked like this.

Fredag regnede det 19 mm. 💧 Friday we had 19 mm of rain.

Saturday it only rained a little, 3 mm, but we emptied a blue barrel of rainwater into the pond, 120 litres
💧
Lørdag regnede det kun 3 mm. Men vi hældte alt regnvandet fra den blå tønde, 120 liter, ned i frøsøen.

Sunday was the yearly pligrimage - outdoors - and it rained
☔
Søndag var vi på den årlige alfart - udendørs - og det regnede.

Søndag eftermiddag så frøsøen sådan her ud 💧Sunday late the pond looked like this.
Der må godt komme lidt mere regn 💧We still need a bit more water

Et billede fra vores regnvåde valfart 💧 A photo from our rainy pilgrimage

Almost everybody had left. The final procession and blessings were shortened. The four men in black at the statue of Our Lady of Aasebakken is our bishop (in the red cap) two priests and the main altar server. Normally they're dressed for the occasion - it was too wet today. 
☔
Rigtig mange var taget hjem, og den afsluttende andagt blev afkortet. De fire mænd, der står rundt om statuen af Vor Frue af Aasebakken er vores biskop (med rød kalot) to præster og vores overministrant. Normalt har de fint tøj på til andagten, men det var bare for vådt.

Sunday: Today’s average difficulty is 4.3 guesses out of 6, or moderately challenging. Moderately challenging ... well I did not know the solution-word, and had to seek help in a dictionary to find me a word to fit this pattern: 🟩🟩🟩⬜🟩 after having tried ALL the non-invalid letters, and none made a word I knew.  
Wordle 1.436 6/6
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟨⬜🟩⬜⬜
⬜⬜🟨⬜🟨
⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟨⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Saturday; Today’s average difficulty is 4 guesses out of 6, or easy breezy. I would not call 4 out of 6 easy breezy ;) But I did better. Pure intuition and guesswork, though.
Wordle 1.434 3/6
🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟨🟨⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Friday: Today’s average difficulty is 5.6 guesses out of 6, or very challenging.
Wordle 1.435 4/6
⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟨🟩🟨⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

A New Pope ~ and Today's Wordle

Yesterday evening white smoke came from the most watched smoke stack in the whole world.
We have a new pope.
Leo XIV.

 
* *

*

As he began his first speech with the word Peace that was my starter word for today's Wordle.

The solution - Tripe - is not very yummy to put it mildly, I hope it's not an omen.