I hope everyone had a happy holiday! Mine went pretty well. I started off early last week, making cookie dough and baking. On Thursday, Christmas, I tried to get up early at 6:30 but ended up waking closer to 7:30. We had French toast for breakfast made with panettone bread, mascarpone cheese, and maple syrup, and it was really good. After breakfast, I got ready for the day and started making the rolls.
The day itself was pretty low-key for Christmas. Kel went to pick up Chris, and he drove Kel’s dad over. They put together the charcuterie board while Kel and I worked on the sides for dinner.
Then it was time to open presents! Tommy got me a new Kindle, and I love it. The screen is larger, and it has more options and settings. I already have it set up and ready for a new book. I started reading a cookbook from Tommy’s library, which he shares his library with me. It’s by Anthony Bourdain and focuses on everyday foods people actually make, which I really like.
My girls got me some stationery and Ariana Grande’s new perfume; it smells really good. Kel gifted me a beautiful tea set that I still need to set up. I also got socks, and Kel’s dad got me slippers, so I finally threw away my old, broken ones. I got some candy too, which I’m eating slowly because I don’t want to eat it all at once and end up with an upset stomach. Lol.
Chris wasn’t feeling very well, so he took a nap, and later he and Kel’s dad ended up leaving early. We had dinner a bit later that evening, roast with a few sides and fresh rolls. We kept the meal fairly simple and didn’t go overboard, so there weren’t really any leftovers afterward.
On Friday, Tommy had to work. Kel drove to her dad’s house to pick up Chris, then came back to get Karissa and me. In hindsight, it probably would have made more sense for Karissa and me to go with her from the start so she didn’t have to make an extra trip, but it all worked out. Karissa had a cardiology appointment and is wearing a heart monitor for two weeks. She’s doing fine; it’s just for the doctor to check how her heart is doing. The last time she wore one was when she was 14. Karissa had heart surgery when she was three months old, so these procedures are routine for her and are done to make sure her heart is still doing well.
The appointment itself was quick since they just fitted the monitor and sent us on our way. We did get a little lost trying to find the cardiology area, but an employee kindly walked us over. Karissa paid close attention to where we went, so I just followed her when we were leaving. We got home around two, and Kel headed back to her dad’s house. I tried to study for a bit, but it wasn’t really happening, so I went through my stationery and started getting dinner ready.
I watched The Lord of the Rings over the weekend. This wasn’t my first time watching it, but it felt like it was. I remembered absolutely nothing from my first viewing years ago. I saw The Fellowship of the Ring in the theater when it came out, and my strongest memory is that the movie never seemed to end. I’m sorry, but it was a long movie to sit through, and my ADHD made it even harder to get through.
I do remember that Kevin had the DVDs of all the movies. I’m not sure if I still have them or what happened to them. I also remember sitting in my parents’ living room and watching all three films, but beyond that, nothing stuck.
This weekend, with Tommy’s help, I finally gained a better understanding of the story. I’m going to write about what I’ve learned so far. I’m not finished with the third movie yet; we stopped after the lighting of the beacons, as the desperate plea for aid was relayed across the White Mountains and finally seen by Aragorn.
The Fellowship of the Ring (Movie 1)
Long ago, the Dark Lord Sauron created a powerful object called the One Ring, which gave him control over Middle-earth. He was defeated, but the Ring survived—and it corrupts anyone who possesses it.
The Ring eventually comes into the hands of Frodo Baggins, a humble hobbit living in the Shire. Frodo learns from the wizard Gandalf that the Ring must be destroyed to prevent Sauron from returning to full power. The only way to destroy it is to throw it into the fires of Mount Doom, where it was made.
Frodo sets out on a dangerous journey, joined by:
* Sam, Merry, and Pippin (hobbits)
* Aragorn (a ranger and hidden heir to a kingdom)
* Legolas (an elf)
* Gimli (a dwarf)
* Boromir (a human warrior)
* Gandalf (wizard)
This group is called the Fellowship of the Ring.
Along the way:
* They are hunted by terrifying Ringwraiths.
* Gandalf dies fighting a monster called the Balrog.
* Boromir tries to take the Ring but regrets it.
* The Fellowship breaks apart.
Frodo decides to continue the mission alone, but Sam refuses to leave him.
—
The Two Towers (Movie 2)
The story splits into three main paths:
Frodo and Sam
They continue toward Mordor and meet Gollum, a twisted creature who once owned the Ring and is obsessed with it. Gollum agrees to guide them—but he is unstable and slowly plotting betrayal.
Merry and Pippin
They are captured by enemies but escape into a magical forest and convince the Ents (tree-like beings) to attack the wizard Saruman, who has allied himself with Sauron.
Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli
They help defend the kingdom of Rohan from Saruman’s massive army in the Battle of Helm’s Deep, a huge turning point where good narrowly survives against overwhelming odds.
Meanwhile, Gandalf returns and is revealed to be alive and more powerful than before.
—
The Return of the King (Movie 3)
We left off last night after they lit the beacons. The multitude of beacons existing in mountainous terrain between Minas Tirith (the capital city of Gondor) and Edoras (the capital city of Rohan) are successively lit, until Aragorn sees the signal. He rushes to the Golden Hall, to Theoden, shouting, “The beacons are lit! Gondor calls for aid.” I had to look up the names of the areas.
Frodo and Sam
Their journey becomes brutal:
* Gollum manipulates Frodo and drives a wedge between Frodo and Sam.
—
Since I want to remember the places in the movie, I looked up a map of Middle-earth and did some research:
WEST (Safe)
* Shire – Hobbits, peaceful home
* Bree – First “outside world” town
WEST-CENTRAL
* Rivendell – Elves, Fellowship forms
CENTER
* Misty Mountains – Major barrier
* Moria – Dangerous underground route
EAST-CENTRAL
* Lothlórien – Elven forest, brief peace
* Anduin River – Main north–south river
SOUTH-CENTRAL
* Rohan – Horse-lords, open plains
* Isengard – where Saruman’s tower is, known as Orthanc
EAST
* Gondor – Human kingdom, front line
* Minas Tirith – Gondor’s capital
FAR EAST (Evil)
* Mordor – Dark land of Sauron
* Mount Doom – The Ring can only be destroyed here
I have therapy today at 1. I’m not sure I have much to bring up this time. I could talk about Christmas and how things went over the holidays, but other than that, I haven’t really been dealing with any major problems lately. My therapist usually wants to focus on any challenges or struggles I might be facing, and it feels a little strange to go in without anything pressing to discuss. On one hand, it’s nice to have a calm period, but on the other hand, I sometimes wonder if I should be “finding” something to talk about just to make the session feel worthwhile.
I just got back home. After therapy, Alex, Lexi, and I ran a few errands. We stopped at the post office so Lexi could mail a package, then headed to Walmart to pick up Karissa’s medication. Alex and Lexi grabbed drinks at Starbucks, and they even brought Karissa a pink drink, which was sweet. After that, we went to Walgreens to pick up Tommy’s medication. By the time we finished everything, it felt good to finally make it back home.
Therapy was alright today. We talked a bit about Christmas and New Year’s. I shared that I wasn’t able to get cards out this year, and that really bummed me out. My next appointment isn’t until the end of next month, so about four weeks away. I usually see my therapist every two weeks, but he asked if I wanted to try a month instead, and I agreed. I think a month feels like a good pace right now.
This post is already getting pretty long, so I think I’ll wrap it up and go ahead and post it. I’m going to make myself some hot tea and study for a bit until 5.
