The Realms Thereunder

“Ancient legend tells of an army of knights that will remain sleeping until the last days. The knights are waking up.”

Daniel and Freya, two pre-teens who share the same birthday, find themselves stumbling into the realm of legends when they discover an enchanted doorway in an old church. Years later, though they’ve since gone separate ways, they are thrown together again as strange events prove that the adventure they shared years before isn’t yet over.

The Realms Thereunder by Ross Lawhead is a story told in two different timelines, one following Daniel and Freya on their underground adventure as pre-teens, the other describing events from their present as young adults. I really enjoyed this mechanic, which allowed me as the reader to discover the past at the same time that the present was unfolding. It adds to the sense of mystery surrounding the strange happenings in Oxford and elsewhere, because while it’s obvious that the previous journey to the underground realm of Nidergeard shared by the two friends is somehow related to what is going on in their current lives, it isn’t clear how or why until you know how that adventure ends.

In the same vein, it’s interesting to see how the characters of Daniel and Freya develop throughout the story. In their past, Daniel had embraced the adventure not only as a way to escape from a world where he was unhappy, but because he felt it was his destiny. He is more than willing to take on the mission given by the inhabitants of Nidergeard. Freya, on the other hand, wanted only to return home to the comfort of the familiar, hesitation dogging her every move. Their different attitudes directly affect the outcome of their journey, and also how they look back on it as adults. So when strange things begin happening in Oxford, where both Daniel and Freya find themselves, Daniel is once again ready to embrace his destiny while Freya would rather flee.

The Realm of Nidergeard itself, hidden in great caverns and tunnels under England, has had a hand in much of the history of that great country. Lawhead uses what seems to be a comprehensive knowledge of Great Britain to spin a convincing tale in which the modern world meets the stuff of legends, all somehow connected to this ancient realm under the feet of the unsuspecting English. Having once lived briefly in Oxford, I can certainly appreciate it as one of the settings for the meeting of worlds.

Knights, wizards, dragons, elves, trolls, changelings and even a spiritual “Black Ops” officer – all have their place in the The Realms Thereunder. A fun fantasy adventure with a rich history, I would highly recommend this first installment of The Ancient Earth Trilogy, and I’ll be looking forward to the next installment later this year.

Gillian Adams - Red Bissell - Keanan Brand - Beckie Burnham - Melissa Carswell - Jeff Chapman - CSFF Blog Tour - Theresa Dunlap - Emmalyn Edwards - April Erwin - Victor Gentile - Tori Greene - Nikole Hahn - Ryan Heart - Bruce Hennigan - Timothy Hicks - Christopher Hopper - Jason Joyner - Carol Keen - Krystine Kercher - Rebekah Loper - Marzabeth - Shannon McDermott - Rebecca LuElla Miller - Mirriam Neal - Eve Nielsen - Nissa - John W. Otte - Donita K. Paul - Joan Nienhuis - Crista Richey - Sarah Sawyer - Chawna Schroeder - Kathleen Smith - Donna Swanson - Rachel Starr Thomson - Steve Trower - Fred Warren - Dona Watson - Shane Werlinger - Nicole White - Rachel Wyant

Disclaimer: In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

IIIIIIIIIIIt’s Friday!

The most disjointed Quick Takes ever.

 

1.

Have you always wanted lips like the girls on the magazine covers at the grocery store check-out counter? Well, have I got the solution for you. FATLIP by Jacinta™. Just one application of FATLIP by Jacinta™ will have your kisser more pouty than all the duck face pictures your cousin has spammed on her Facebook page. And no collagen needed! Ask me more about FATLIP by Jacinta™ today! (*Disclaimer: will wear off within 24 hours…we hope).

 

2.

I started a home workout routine a few weeks ago. I decided it was time to help speed along the postpartum weight loss, since Ariadne is now over two months old and I am still a little ways from fitting into my favorite jeans. Calling it a workout routine is probably a little overblown though, as it pretty much amounts to me trying not to step on, smack or otherwise maim my underfoot children. I think I’ve hit Jacinta in the head with a can at least three times (but that is not how she got the fat lip).

 

3.

I have cleaned up after more pee accidents this week than I care to think about. So many loads of pee-soaked laundry! I know it is my own fault, because I don’t always remember to make Veronica stop what she is doing and use the bathroom. But please tell me this won’t last forever, and that someday she will of her own volition seek out the facilities when she feels the call. Please?

 

4.

Please pray for a friend of mine whose father is in the midst of his last battle against cancer. It looks like he won’t be here much longer, and any prayers you can offer to help him in his last hours and also to bless his family would be appreciated.

 

5.

On a happier note, some other friends have started the journey to adopt a beautiful little boy from Hong Kong. Mike is one of my OBs, and was such a blessing during Ariadne’s delivery, so the least I can do is share an opportunity with you all to help him and his family bring their newest member home. If you feel called, check out Heidi’s blog for ways to help – there’s even a giveaway for an iPad, so hurry over!

 

6.

When these two get together there can be much screaming, but there can also be much love.

 

7.

I promised Veronica I would help her make an invisible map, so I’ll just have to leave you with this. Happy Friday!

This zebra is dope!

Homemade Valentine’s Day

While we don’t have anything against Valentine’s Day here in the Greene household, we do try to steer away from the commercialism that demands spending lots of money so your significant other knows you love him or her. Instead, we traditionally do a little fancier dinner at home and let the kids participate, too.

 

This year, that meant serving dinner on our seldom-used china.

 

Though not everyone got to use the fancy dishes.

 

It meant a fun, pink Valentine’s drink.

 

And Valentine’s clothes, too. No matter if they are decorated with aforementioned pink Valentine’s drink.

 

It meant a do-it-yourself floral arrangement from Paul, since Trader Joe’s ran out of the potted orchids he usually likes to give me (and I like to receive).

 

Not bad for a guy who is partially colorblind. Ariadne approves.

 

It meant a husband who was willing to hold a fussy baby so I could finish my dinner, since Ariadne has a knack for knowing exactly when we are ready to sit down and eat. Actually, he does this pretty much any time she’s fussy during dinner. That is love.

 

It meant heart-shaped cake pops that weren’t perfect but still tasty.

 

And, of course, it meant messy hands.

 

It meant homemade Valentines to Daddy from three little girls.

 

And a little bit of LOTRO geekery from this wife to her husband and best playmate.

 

A fun and tasty Valentine’s Day! Hope yours was just as nice.

How to Destroy the One Ring

 

1.

Pork Chops with Garlic and Wine by Ree Drummond

I made this earlier in the week. It was very easy and very tasty. You should try it.

 

2.

I also made a first attempt at homemade flour tortillas recently. They weren’t perfect, but I didn’t expect them to be the first time around. It will take some practice to get them right, but I think this is the start of a wonderful new relationship between me and Mexican food.

 

3.

I hadn’t been able to get a picture of Ariadne in the bath because she usually cries the moment her “delicate” skin touches the water. But the other night she was pretty chill so I even got to style her hair before snapping a few pictures.

“Love the hair, Mom.”  *fistbump*

 

4.

Jacinta was “helping” me bathe Ariadne. She can’t resist the camera.

 

5.

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned I was methodically cleaning and organizing our house. I did the master bedroom first, then moved onto the laundry room. This is week two in the laundry room because we’ve had some other things going on that have made it a little difficult to do much in there daily. But it is easier to move around now and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m torn about whether to keep working in there until it’s “done”, or move to another area next week.

 

6.

The Renaissance Festival starts tomorrow! We are very excited to be going again this year. It’s really become a fun family tradition. I won’t be able to wear my garb this year but Paul and the older girls each have something. Ariadne and I will be stuck in the 21st century I guess.

 

7.

The casting of The One Ring into Mount Doom, as told by Veronica.

Happy Friday everyone!

Art is Hard

We were overdue for a picture of Veronica falling asleep somewhere strange.

 

I guess coloring just got the best of her.

TGIF

1. I discovered FlyLady a couple of years ago, and while I haven’t really adopted her day to day cleaning plans, her methods have definitely influenced the way I clean my house. So as I looked around at the various disaster areas in our house recently, I decided I would just do one room at a time - spending a week in each - until things are cleaned up and organized. So this week I’ve been in the master bedroom (which just happens to coincide with where FlyLady is, too). It’s not perfect, but the piles of clothes are off the floor, along with the random bins of baby stuff I’d been meaning to go through. I haven’t decided if I’m going to do the girls’ room next, or the laundry room. Yikes!

 

2. Jacinta has been very interested in books lately, but she doesn’t really want to read them, just point out things of interest to ask what they are. Which is really cute, but also mildly aggravating. The problem? She will follow me around the house with a book and doesn’t seem to understand “Please wait,” or “I’m getting something hot out of the oven,” or “I’m up to my elbows in raw chicken right now.” So that leads to some frustrated squawks on her part when Mom fails to immediately identify the object in question. Oh, my ears.

3. Veronica’s version of this is, of course, the ubiquitous litany of why. She asks why about EVERYTHING. And she also will follow me around the house to peg me with questions. Does anyone else find it hard to cook or clean and also answer small child questions at the same time? Because my brain just can’t seem to handle it. I want her to feel like she can ask me questions, but…phew! Sometimes I need a break.

***After I posted this, I remembered this article by Rachel Balducci earlier in the week on Faith and Family. In it she shares her favorite parent answers to why questions, including “Because I said so.” My own personal favorite, which fits a lot of the why-is-it-like-that type questions Veronica is constantly asking: “God made it that way.”

 

4. Following in her sisters’ footsteps, Ariadne has almost grown out of the 0-3 month clothes now. She’s nearly 8 weeks, and getting chunkier and cuter by the minute. And smiling a lot. I love baby smiles. If only I could capture one on camera…

 

5. Even though it’s still a little chilly, Paul has been wanting to do some gardening with the girls. So he got a little seed starter tray and they picked out some flowers. And tomatoes. And green beans. They planted them in the tray and also in some pots we had lying around, and they are now basking in the sun in the dog room. Or would be, if it wasn’t overcast today. He is hoping that having them indoors will give them a chance even though technically it’s still winter. We’ll see!

6. Ariadne has been a lot more congested than either of the other two girls. I find myself needing to suction her nose to get the big boogers out. Jacinta came in the bedroom while I was doing this the other day, and of course Ariadne was not a happy camper. She was doing her angry cry, and Jacinta got so freaked out that she’s afraid of the suction bulb now. I offered to let her hold it to try and put her fears to rest, but she looked at me like I was waving a chainsaw at her. Then she turned and ran.

7. The girls had a play date with their cousins last week, where this gem of a conversation took place.

4 y/o Nephew: Who is the oldest one in the house?

Me: I think it is probably your mom.

Nephew: How old is she?

Me: I don’t know, you’ll have to ask her.

Nephew: I think she is in her sixties.

Gotta love kids!

Mini Mince(meat) Pies

Ever since returning from the semester of college that I spent in Oxford, England, I’ve missed mincemeat pies. Yes, I’ve missed them for nine years. Up until now, I’ve just accepted that. But no more! I felt it was time to test my cooking skills and make my own.

After perusing the interwebs for recipes, I cobbled together a list of things I wanted in the mincemeat. Meat was not one of those things. Though it seems that traditionally they did contain meat – hence the name, mincemeat – the ones that I tried way back in my Oxford days did not. At least, not as far as I know.

Once I assembled my ingredients, I played with the quantities until I came up with this combination. (DISCLAIMER: I in no way claim that this recipe is “authentic” or anything. It was pieced together from the internet, which we all know is extremely accurate and never lies.)

• 1 1/2 cups raisins
• 4 apples, peeled and diced very small
• 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
• 1 scant cup of dried figs, chopped*
• 1 cup green holiday cherries, chopped*
• 3/4 cup candied citrus peel (recipe here)
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cloves

(*Next time I think I would leave out the cherries, they weren’t needed. Maybe the figs, too. I only included them because I couldn’t find currants. We’ll see.)

I put everything in a pot and simmered on the stove until the apple softened and the house smelled wonderful.

 

Then I made up a batch of Pam’s Pie Crust and cut it into little shapes with a cookie cutter. I pressed a small circle of dough into a mini muffin pan, making it fit by removing a small wedge from the circle first. I filled each little pie, then put the tops on and baked at 410 degrees F according to these directions. I had a little leftover dough so I made a couple in a regular muffin tin, too.

Yum! They were very tasty. The pie crust recipe made enough for one full mini muffin tin (24 pies) and a few extra in the regular muffin tin. But I had a lot of leftover filling, so I put it in the freezer to use another time. Which is good, because I’ll definitely want to make them again soon!