Big News

Hi.

Hello there blogging pals. Have you missed this mug? I've sure missed you. I'm reading a book right now by Humphrey Carpenter called The Inklings that I borrowed/stole from my dad. How does that relate to missing you?

Well, the Inklings were a group of Oxford professors and other pals, mostly of C.S. Lewis, who got together to read stuff they were writing or to have discussions about all sorts of things. One of these pals was J.R.R. Tolkien and another was Charles Williams amongst a small group of others. They'd read their poetry aloud and Tolkien regularly read from his new hobbit book (not The Hobbit but the sequel of sorts). There was mostly beer, tea or stronger stuff involved and it usually took place in Lewis' Magdalen College rooms or at the "Beer and Baby" pub amongst others.

What I'm getting at is that I've always envied this group of incredibly talented writers that were able to hang out, share things they were working on with each other, and above all, encourage each other as writers. They started off as an informal literary group, and perhaps that was always at the core, but ultimately it was really just a group of sort of like-minded friends all passionate about literature and writing, particularly the idea of mythopoeia, or the making (and power) of myth. "On the other hand there is, the belief shared by Tolkien and Lewis that myth can sometimes convey truth in a way that no abstract argument can achieve: a very important notion behind both men's work, and an idea that was certainly shared in some degree by Williams." (Carpenter, p. 157)

"Blessed are the legend-makers with their ryhme

of things not found within recorded time.

It is not they that have forgot the Night,

or bid us flee to organized delight..." Tolkien from Mythopoeia

Writing is a solitary battle. Sure there is joy and discovery, but it is also hard work and the promise of daunting criticism and rejection. Which is why I've envied the Inklings. And yet, through this funny thing called the internet, I've found (or been found by) my own Inklings. While it may not be JUST as good as getting to see you in person and shoot the breeze, drink good beer and or/coffee (or tea I suppose) and read our stories aloud to each other, it nearly is. And who knows, maybe we can even have a beer night where we toast each other and submit a piece of anything. Who knows. And for those who don't drink, coffee, ginger ale, or tea work fine too. Maybe this will happen soon. Let me know what you think.

BUT, All this is really saying that I have missed you all and am very glad to be back now.

And in HONOR of the occasion of our reunion, I have brought a tasty piece of news with me for you. You didn't think I'd come back empty-handed did you? In fact, I've sort of been waiting to post until I could share this with you.

The long and short news is that Amy is prego. Yep. The bun is in the oven, her eggo is prego. Been hard keeping that secret, though a couple of you might already know. She just had an ultrasound done (for free love ya Canada) and she's about eight and a half to nine weeks (or so) along. Accompanying the two inch (or so) baby, apparently the boob fairy and the nausea fairy have also visited, though the nausea fairy is much less welcome.

Now, I'm not saying I'm suspicious or anything. But I'll just add that our baby better not come out with a tail and golden fur.

We were very surprised and now are very excited. We, especially me, were still getting used to the whole concept until I saw this.

That pretty much did it for me. This is happening. Whew.

And Amy's reaction after she heard I put her uterus on the world wide web?