Why oh why does Barliman keep a perfectly good plate of mushrooms within a Hobbit's reach in the pantry and expects them to NOT be eaten?!
I've had a proper telling off to by one of The Prancing Pony's staff after she discovered that it was none other than I who had been nicking the mushrooms of late... It's not as if I *can't* help myself or anything, why it's most certainly not a matter of self control... But then again, those mushrooms did look irresistible. Oddly enough I don't regret doing it despite the threats of having my hide tanned raw if I do it again...
I see that as a challenge accepted!
...Very well, on second thought I'll make it up to Ol' Barliman. I'll go and fetch a few mushrooms for him free of charge tomorrow eve. I know of a place where a most delicious variety of mushrooms grow in the forest, Blewits they're called and they're just lovely to throw in a stew or simply to go with bread and cheese. Perhaps after this he won't be leaving his prized mushrooms out in the open, I won't tell him of my friend's obsession to his mushrooms mind, for one of the Big People it would appear that Icy-Eyes certainly loves her mushrooms... I wonder how she'd react if I called her that, perhaps it's best to leave it be and simply wait until she comes back.
I remember when I was growing up I used to forage in the woods nearby for mushrooms, nuts and berries, it was relaxing and rather productive too seeing as we never really had much money and had to make do with whatever we had. Though we were poor,, mother and father always put food on the table and we were fed well despite the odds.
Our Smial was nothing more than a fairly large but surprisingly comfortable hole dug in the ground and some tin and wood roofing which at times leaked, my brothers and father were always busy keeping the place from falling down while working the quarries. You'd think with a family of eight we'd have the place in more than a shambles all those years seeing as we all pitched in with the chores. I suppose the ol' Burrow wasn't too bad come to think of it, sure it wasn't anything like the well to do upper poppies of Hobbiton or even the 'Great' Smiles of Tuckborough, but we were a happy lot.
I'm missing the old Burrow come to think of it. I've made a very comfortable life for myself here in Staddle, I have a real Smial of my own now and it's luxury in comparison with what we used to have. But I never forget my roots, I should go and visit some time... Ought to see how my gamma's doing if she's still alive... She wasn't in the fittest of states last I saw her... Knowing the way she's going she's certainly not going to beat Old Took. With that said mother used to always tell me that longevity was in our family whatever that means so I might even live 'till one hundred and more!
That's a thought... I'm still young and my life's ahead of me, I suppose I am an optimist despite all this talk of trouble in distant lands, I never would have guessed that a little rant over mushrooms would have turned into feeling a tad homesick... I miss the old Burrow dearly and I'm feeling nostalgic for the good old days when life was more of a struggle, Isn't that odd? I've been in Staddle for the good part of a year now and I've settled down beautifuly, I've gotten used to the Big Folk and their strange ways and even made friends with some yet I still feel out of place... Maybe it will do me good to see the familliar green hills of The Shire and have a proper brew and pie back home.
You can take a Hobbit out of The Shire but you can't take The Shire out of a Hobbit!
