Lord of The Rings – Simply Megan Joy

What do you like to do when you have a free Saturday morning? I prefer sleeping, but on occasion I will venture out, wearing something a little different. I awoke before dawn, raided my brother’s closet and stole his shield, sword, and helmet (items that all brothers have sitting around no doubt), packed my camera, chose the wrong shoes for field terrain, forced my sister to come with me, and in rushing out the door forgot any sort of coat. No matter, the day would not be spoilt by the cold. Or the wind. Or the frosty wet grass. I consider the cold I later caught by running around in a valley on a blustery morning, a mere expense of high adventure. We suffered no casualties, save a bruised nose. I really must get better at putting on medieval helmets if I am ever to succeed in battle. I do myself more injuries than I would my enemy.

It was a wonderful day from start to end. First, we parked and gathered all the metal and leather bits and bobs before entering the wide valley to get lost on noble quests, fight orcs, and scavenge for second breakfast.

Just as I left the car, holding my sword and shield with the helmet on my head, a car drove down and into the parking lot. I was in perfect view in his windshield. It must have been strange for him to see a rogue Lord of The Rings character so early in the morning. Turns out he was so frightened of my menacing attire, he parked, got out of his car, and ran away! (Yes, he was a jogger, but that’s beside the point.) I was indeed menacing. . .

I may be a menace, but. . .

We snapped photos and videos listening to the LOTR soundtrack (likewise I am as I write this). Hikers passed by but didn’t say much besides hello. No one wanted to cross swords with me, I suppose, for I should surely have won a duel and left them in shame. In actuality, the sword was much too heavy for me to fight successfully. I prefer a smaller blade, perhaps a Hobbit sized one.

The belt I found at a thrift store and the dress was given to me. The shoes, I wore in my first blog post ever (in 2016) and the headpiece is a necklace I’ve had for years. The lantern was from World Market, I believe, and the rest, of course, was stolen from my brother, which is how I imagine Eowyn got her armor for the Battle of Pelennor Fields.