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Orphaned, then Exiled, now perhaps cast adrift on a raft from the ruins of Numenorë. At least, that's how it feels some days. Yet we've packed up this thread before and moved house, and survived. Let's make it so again. :mrgreen:

Anyone and everyone is welcome. :mrgreen: The only 'house rules' are the usual 'please respect and support everyone else', leave your muddy boots in the porch and please don't feed the dragon cheesy-poofs.


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The Orphanage:
‘the family’ have been known to lapse into role-playing from time to time, so here follows a brief description of the setting. The great hall of the orphanage ran the full length of the building, from the oak door at the front to the french-windows (with dragon-flap) at the back. There were bedchambers to the left, and directly to the right ran a corridor with kitchens and stores opening off it. The walls were hung with tapestries of varied hues, showing themes from ancient tales; Leoba’s favourite was the one which depicted the Lady of the Lake clasping Excalibur, woven with every imaginable shade of blue and green thread. At the top end of the hall, to the sides of the front door hung four large pictures of Boromir; a gift from Rho. A large brick-built fireplace was set into the right-hand wall with two enveloping leather armchairs huddled close, complete with large feather-filled cushions embroidered to match the wall-hangings. In the centre of the hall stood a large trestle-table, covered at one end by a map of Middle Earth and stacked with journals and parchment filled with scraps of verse and long-laid plans for adventure. Set nearby were a couple of large black leather sofas, and a carved oak linen chest in which all sorts of ‘junk’ was kept. In the far corner by the french-windows, stood a spiral staircase, carved from oak with designs of intricate tracery and leading up to a minstrels’ gallery running the full length of the left-hand wall. It was backed with bookcases filled with works of history, literature, music and art. Suspended from the low-hanging timber rafters, over the rear doors, was the Orphanage Banner which Scribbles had gifted them: a wide, wide banner, consisting of four side by side panels and trimmed with bright silver cord. Each corner sporting a large silver tassel. The first panel was richly worked in the black, white and silver of Gondor. The next section was a copy of the Easterling banner, the deep red background worked with bright white and silvery grey. Next in line was a chilling copy of the Mordor Banner, the baleful red eye glaring out from the black velvet. And last but not least was a panel with a richly embroidered copy of the shield for the House of Haleth. The whole piece seemed alive, as though a thread of life energy was woven in and among the embroidery and stitchery. Directly outside the great glass doors at the end of the hall lay a terrace with sun-loungers, a well-stocked bar with every drink imaginable and a brick-built barbecue. Steps lead down to a swimming pool, carved of smooth granite, surrounded by natural falls and river ferns and giant rocks for diving from. And beyond that lay soft springy grass, starred with daisies and bordered with azaleas and rhododendrons.

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The Library: a collection of useful links

* Rhyming Dictionary and Thesaurus
* Information about horses for the uninitiated
* Epilogue.net’s search page

* Ardalambion: the best site about Tolkien’s languages
* Maps of Middle Earth
* Encyclopaedia of Arda

Taking in hand the giant scissors, Leoba proudly cut the scarlet satin of the opening ribbon. Its two ends subsided gracefully as she pushed open the great oak double-doors.

'Home at last' she thought, depositing her rucksack under a cloak peg for now. There was a bath calling her - a Lushy bath no less - and the prospect of warm towels and scented candles and finest Dorwinion; all those little luxuries of home that had been missing from the atmosphere for far too long.


Now see what you guys have done to me. No sooner do I kick off a new thread than I am spouting gushy rubbish again. Before you know it we'll be having pool parties and flicking waist-length tresses everywhere. :mrgreen:


Not that there's a huge amount to tell in my life today. I'm feeling guilty because I haven't posted in the 'other place' since Friday. And I'm also suffering guilt (Lordy- I'm starting to sound Catholic [joke BTW]) because I found out last night that my Grandparents won't be staying for Christmas, as Grandma think it's too far to travel after being so ill the other month. Rather sad, as they'll be spending Christmas alone. But on the other hand, it means that Din and I get to sleep in the spare room instead of the caravan (much warmer!) and also that my sister and her bf won't have to stay in the loft!

So, I'm kind of all set now. The only thing left to do is go to the theatre tomorrow night - to see Ian McKellen in drag.

Oh what do my eyes see? This is heaven!!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Thank you Leoba

Will post more when I have more time dances off back to work

Cheerleader

Griff peers in through the doors. It certainly LOOKS inviting ... and she's been so tired of tramping about lately, trying to fix stuff, being edged out of her favourite haunts by influxes of new faces ... 'I certainly do like things to stay the same, really!' she thought.

Any chance of finding a welcome in here, Leoba?

( and I just have to say: Caravan? Loft? Sounds like you have more ... slightly less desirable ... sleeping spots than desirable ones )

ok warning big rant since i can officialy have a place to do that now.

as you might now i burned my hand rather badly last Thursday night before going to see Steph. the blister might be not that enormous but the swelling is still clearly visible. this was my first day back at school after moots and after burning my hand.

So i had this history presentation to do thus i get up to get to the table and what happens? i trip over my bag probably and land right on my burned right hand. my left hand got slammed into the tabe next to me so that one hurts now too. i still wanted to go on and present but the pain was getting too much. i fled from the classroom and hurried home.

On my way home a car manages not to stop in time and thus hits my leg.

Now i am home, painful, bruises. How much bad luck can one person get one one stinking day.

Jae Ga naar een dokter meid, voor alle veiligheid. Anders gaat die wond misschien infecteren. **big hugs**

Sorry for the funny talk, my brain didn't want to come up with the right english words.

Kaya had good advice! Arme Jae! Ek dink jy moet ook eerder 'n dokter gaan besoek, laat hulle seker maak die wond is skoon sodat dit vinnig kan genees!

Rifles through the massive bookshelf that lines one entire wall of the comfy lounge...... translations..... dictionary... she mumbles, where are they when you need 'em

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: Now I really feel at home to Leoba - but what happened to the Aragorn wall hangings I've put up ages ago? Hmmm - they're probably in repair....

*sigh* - a very VERY content sigh :mrgreen: . Pull's out a volume of 'maps of the northern lands' and settles into the comfy couch.
:mrgreen:

Hi Griff :mrgreen: Leuk! Nog iemand waar ik gewoon in mijn eigen taal kan mee praten.

Alandriel .... In the comfy chair?? Thank goodness you have the right literature though.

Alandriel. okay, I take your point. I've added the library back into the first post. So many of the links were TORCish that I wasn't sure how useful it would be. But there are bits we probably need!:mrgreen:

Griff, of course you're welcome. I was going to suggest that maybe it's not as fast paced as some of the home threads you've frequented, but then we descended into Flemish/Dutch/Afrikaans too-ing and fro-ing so I shall eat my words!

Indeed we have weird accommodation options. My parents sold their five bedroom house in Buckinghamshire about six months ago now and downsized to a four bedroom place in Somerset. Given that I no longer live at home and that my siblings are all grown up and must soon flee the nest, once would have through four bedrooms would be ample. However, add Din and I to the mix, then take into account that fact that my brother and sister both have partners who will be descending at some point over the Christmas season. And then my grandparents were going to stay - which means that my grandma would have had the spare room to herself (she's still recovering from a knee op in September, followed by a liver abscess that nearly killed her in October/November) and my grandpa would have been given my sister's room. So that grandma has the space she needs, still being ill. Well, to cut to the chase, a four bedroom house is suddenly too small. They're working though on converting the space over the detached garage into a spare room of some description, so there'll be a little more space for expansion.

Jae Do you never stop girl! ;) What was it that Alandriel recommended for burns? Lavender oil I think. And for bruises… I would get some witch-hazel or arnica gel on your aches and pains. And rest!!! :mrgreen:

Kaya, I'm glad to be of service. It's been too long since we've posted together - we have much catching up and some rectifying of matters to do!

Leoba wrote:

Kaya, I'm glad to be of service. It's been too long since we've posted together - we have much catching up and some rectifying of matters to do!

Rectifying? What have I done wrong?

Nothing, you daft goose. Just you've not posted much in the past six months or so, and I've missed that! :mrgreen:

oh *PHEW* ... Yeah, I know I blame it all on work. I missed it too, but because I was around so little and never really was able to catch up, or get to know the newest Orphans, I kind of alienated. But I'll make up for it now, we promissssse. :mrgreen: I'll spa- errrrrrrrrrr... post eloquently here, as often as I can.

On the work front... am for sure working in Belgium again until the end of january. :mrgreen: w000t ... and they'll have to come up with really good advantages to ever make me cross that border again for work purposes.

bounces off to work some more

EDITED to add: you could have least called me a daft duck!

Kaya and Griff- ik ga vanavond waarschijnlijk even voor de zekerheid. het gaat nu wel goed met speciaal verband eromheen en pijnstillers.

Leoba-yeah yeah here i go again wounding myself. that's at least one thing my RP character did not take over. i wish we had those thongs at home. and i wish my warm water tap was made so i could take a bath with the lavender bathbomb you send me. curse the world today.

slouches down on the couch and sits grumpily feeling like Ebenezer Scrooge

Humbug

A lavendar bath bomb, although heavenly just won't do the trick little elf. Your journey pack needs one of those


.. and have some of these.... to get rid of the grouchies



Yep! Been baking... not that mine look anything as nice as these

Doors bust open, a large cart resplendent with shiny paper and bunting pushes through the dragon flapbefore upending and allowing a deluge of mishapen and misbegotten cruitters to pour into the room.

"Honey, I'm Home" bellows the elf, smiling gently at Leoba who sat on the couch giving him a stern look. "Missed me?" he muttered, as the Bonsai Ents marched into the garden, the Baby watcher in the Water swim team slunk into the swimming pool, Puff Dragon dog farted her way to the Kennel and other shady figures vanished into corners.

Hey, fun, a place to cause mayhem and laugh at Jae. Poor Bubblefish, you are in the wars again. And Aggi not in site to blame for any *cough* unusual bruises

Looks round, sees Griff, Kaya, Alandriel and glances at the door expectently whist helping himself to Jae's chocolates.

:D

I know, I'm late, even if it was me who asked for this place....

Life seems right again, with an orphanage...

Jae little bubble, what are you doing? Where is your mind? (or is it like mine fixed in the abysses of virtuality?) Take care, little sister, and get a smile from me.

You know what happened this morning: at six a.m. Benjamin (the junior orc, just in case someone is not yet familiar with my entire family) woke up, asking: "Is it daytime?" (Always the first question of the day ) When I kindly tried to explain him, that yes, but that it was the holidays, he started to sob and cry and finally after fifteen minutes of hugs, managed to stutter out: "If I don't have school, it means that I will not see Valentine." - a little girl in his class.
Oh, love, sweet love....
Did you have to hit him at 6 a.m.?

On another note, after some weeks of pestering, my husband changed the security settings on my computer, and today I got a bunch of e-cards.... To all those, who did not get replies, ... I just did not know.

Ahh, it's good to be home!

Again.

For what, the fifth time?

And I'm still rated a guest...

Well, in any case...my life.

I think I get the odd distinction of being the first person to have a nightmare about my girlfriend taking a day off from work. On top of that, I didn't know whether it was really happening or not, even though I knew I was awake for part of the time I was worrying about it, until several hours later. But Vana is safely away at work, not getting her ass chewed up by her overstressed boss, and, like myself, very sleep deprived.

Never do logic puzzles right before going to bed, or think that they may help you go to sleep.

On other topics, I'm working on the job hunt...we need it for us to move out. Vana's checks got axed by the company pulling 40 bucks out every two weeks for a 401K retirement plan, and another 40 bucks for insurance. So we're down 160 dollars a month, and even with what's left she'd just be able to cover bills and rent, so I need a job to keep us eating. And I'm going to be poking around for a job at the worst possible time...but nothing to do except try.

Nin don't worry sis i'll survive just this is what i call one hell of a crappy day usually my bad days do not involve fysical hurt. thank you again for the card and that's so sweet!!! Valtine's a cute name btw.

Din- :P no it was not Aggie, he's gentle not rough :mrgreen: how the D&D adventure coming along? make sure you teach my mom she's interested.

Guru- good luck with the job hunt

Kaya-having fun with the PM button i see must pm you you back later

well i am doing a bit better now. done a bit more christmas shopping (still not done) with my aunt who suddenly showed up after coming home from Barcelona and will probably face the wrath of my economics teacher for not showing up at his detention class which i so not deserved to be in in the first place. but anyway got my mom calling him tonight demanding an explanation why i was summoned there in the first place.

Three more days before holidays, three more.Breathe, Jae breathe

Yes, I had some fun indeed. Hope you'll feel better soon.

I think I need a hug. Have to go to hospital to have something checked tomorrow and even though the doc, who I just saw, said I shouldn't worry too much, the thought keeps nagging in the back of my head.