Dear Ones,

According to an article my dad emailed me, In 1944, Tolkien’s son, Christopher, was having a rough time in camp with the army. His father wrote the following encouragement, “Well, there you are: a hobbit amongst the Urukhai. Keep up your hobbitry in heart, and think that all stories feel like that when you are in them. You are inside a very great story!”

Today my whole little family crammed into layers of bad, can't-wick-away-the-moisture snow clothes and went outside. Jon ran the snowblower and my kids made snow angels and drew me into the snow with their shining eyes and red cheeks: Wave my arms and kick my legs and feel the snow crawl up my back. I felt like a child again.

It was very, very cold and I felt like a real High Plainsman. Bliss.