honorary mum ask made me wonder – what kinds of books are you reading to the Dwarfling right now? what’s her favorite story?

oh! She has a TON of books! We have so SO many kid’s books. Part of her bedtime routine is 3 books before lights-out 🙂

(she has recently discovered that she can get out of bed at night, and the first things she does with this power? SHE GETS ANOTHER BOOK. I am quietly so proud bc i did the same thing when i was a smol lmao)

Favourites! 

  • Hop on Pop 
  • Go Dog Go! 
  • anything to do with the alphabet (such as Animalia or A to Z) 
  • she loves One Ted Falls Out of Bed, Sugarlump and the Unicorn, The Gruffalo and a Squash and a Squeeze, by Julia Donaldson!
  • OH MY GOD DOES SHE LOVE EVERYTHING BY MEM FOX (makes my Strayan heart warm, I tell you!) Possum Magic, Where is the Green Sheep? and Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes are standbys.
  • Sandra Boynton books! SHE LOVES THEM, and they are such FUN, with such boppy awesome rhyming rhythms! They’re all great, but My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs! and The Belly Button Book seem to be the ones that get the most attention.
  • Best bedtime book at the moment is Goodnight Mice by Frances Watts. I love reading this one, and she cuddles up very close and it is so gorgeous. 
  • She likes Slinky Malinki better than Hairy Maclary! 
  • The Day the Crayons Quit is a little complicated for her, story-wise, but she ADORES the pictures and pretends to write the letters.
  • Her First Words book is well loved and well-worn now! And We’re Going on a Bear Hunt has been patched and sticky-taped together a ZILLION times (she gets very excited and squeals a lot when the bear turns up)
  • We have the McFarlane and Creagh books Energetic Elliot and Bouncy Ben and she LOVES THEM, aaaaaaah
  • Miss Lily’s FABULOUS Pink Feather Boa is a good one for quiet time before dinner: she likes saying ‘Potoroo!’
  • The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Of course! I think it’s some sort of law :p she loves counting the foods.
  • Also: psst @kailthia she loves loves LOVES The Tiger Who Came to Tea ❤
  • Newest obsession is My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes ❤

That’s not even a quarter of the books on her shelf: she is bonkers for books, and I am delighted by it 🙂

Just knowing you’re on the ace spectrum gives me hope somedays that maybe I will one day be able to get married and maybe have kids because some days I just don’t feel like anyone could love me if I’m ace so thank you, you give me hope

Hey Nonnie, and all the hugs from me to you right now. You can, you absolutely can. And you are absolutely worth all the love in the world. I hope you find it.

If I have any insight (and everyone’s experience is ofc gonna be different), I’d say that I’ve learned this: it takes a LOT of communication. It takes a lot. You have to keep talking, keep gauging how each other is feeling, and negotiate your way through it. It’s never a once-off conversation, bc if resentment piles up in any relationship, it’s a poisonous sort of thing. 

And to communicate on that level, there has to be trust. SO much trust. I have to trust that I am loved (DIFFICULT when you have a mental illness, sometimes!!!), and Mr Dets must trust that I love him. I trust that he wants me to be happy, and vice-versa. He trusts that I will listen to him and take his wants and opinions on-board, and I do the same. 

It’s very difficult to extend so much trust when you are very insecure or if depression is kicking your butt – I have experience in that department! – but it is very rewarding with the right person, and never, ever doubt that you are worth it. Please believe me when I tell you that you are deserving of love and affection and the future you wish for. 

Mom pls this is a sos from the usa it has been three days since Obama left us and the sweet potato man took over….. we are dying pls save us

I can’t even imagine, Nonnie. I am scared and weary by all the terrible news, and I’m not even in the same country as Yam Man. 

Nonnie, I wish I could, but I’m just one person. All I have is this: The groundswell of outrage is not contained to the USA. There are a lot of people fighting right now, all over the world, against this horrible human and his bigotry and avarice. I’m doing my part, and I know hundreds of others who are doing theirs.  

You’re not on your own. Keeping fighting, keep your dignity, keep your truth firmly in front of your eyes. You can show this gilded turd what ‘great’ REALLY means. 

Hey! I have a question if that’s ok?? I was rereading through the awesomeness that is sansukh and I saw in one part thorin was yelling that thranduil will ask for the white gems next. Does this mean in sansukh canon bilbo never gave them to thranduil after botfa, like he did in the book? Or was thorin still getting used to being dead that he didn’t know bilbo gave the elf king them? Thanks!! (I love your writing so much)

Hey Nonnie! 

Bilbo did NOT give Thranduil the white gems in the book – the white gems (and their background story etc etc) are an invention of the movies. 

All the book says is that the Elvenking is fond of white gems. 

Bilbo gave the Elvenking a silver and pearl necklace, actually, one that Dain had gifted to him 🙂

(Thorin didn’t know, and that is probably for the best, lmao)

Hey I was wondering if you could help me for this: in the hobbit, when passing through the Misty Mountains, the company kills the Great Goblin of Goblin-town and I was wondering who replaced the leader afterwards?

Hey Nonnie! 

Welp, I did a little digging, and Tolkien Gateway reckons that the goblins under the Great Goblin were only a sub-section of the Orcs of the Misty Mountains.

so it’s probable that they ended up at the Battle of Five Armies under the leadership of Bolg 🙂