A mysterious cloaked figure with a floppy hat enters the Square and sits down beneath a giant oak tree before composing various notes to her dear, dear friends.
*Ara sneaks into the Town Square and steals the obligatory piece of sweet potato before the recipe is done, because tasting the recipe in progress is way more fun than… *coughcoughcough* *
*Ahem*… that’s *cough* ketchupy. It’s good, it’s good. *ahem* I like it.
*beams* Ain't it great? Just wait 'til you taste it when it's done! 
*waves to stargazer and Maria*
Ooh, does the Square get a food network now? *likes this new show* Munchies are always a good subject. Also, it's been too long since you guys visited.
Yep, it's a new addition! I'm glad you like it. 
And yes, it has been! We might just be back to stay. 
Malkah and Fireflower, 'tis good to see you two. *wonders if there might be a picture of the floppy hats*
And LOL about chopping potatoes with a sword. And cleaning your bathroom with a frying pan.
Good to see you too, Miss R! 
Hmm, a picture of floppy hats? We might have to find one, Mal - whaddya say?
Well, like they say, I like to live life on the wild side. 
*waves to Ela and gives her big hugs *
*watches Munchtime with interest; wonder when the Square Soup concoction will be finished; ponders whether or not sneaking a bite before it is done will go unnoticed; greatly admires Mal and Mountie's chopping skills; and wonders where they got such floppily-awesome floppy hats*
It'll be done soon - in fact, Mal and I are working on filming our next episode right now! As for the floppy hats, well... we made them!
*waves to Lady Amalthea and ceppault* How are you two doing?
*blushes at all the "happy Mod Day wishes" and is grateful for each and every one *
*applauses to Munchtime with Malcaroon and Muffin* Very entertaining!!
Oh and don't worry about impersonating *coughRubyWintershowcough* We understand...our genius *coughnonexistentgeniuscough*is a bit contagious.
Well, as they say, imitation is the highest form of flattery. Although we could never impersonate you, O Great Ones.
*waves to Cor, and Vern, the latter of whom she has missed, as he doesn't accompany Cor into the chatroom* My sister and I watched your Singing in the Rain video and had that song in our heads afterwards.
*waves to Jacqui* Welcome to the Square! It's wonderful to meet you. You can call me Mountie, Fireflower, MFF, or anything other nicknames you can come up with.
*waves to Bella* How are you doing? I've missed you!
*waves to Ithie and nods* Mmhmm, RPomance is the perfect term for it. You're a genius.
*waves to johobbit enthusiastically* Jo!! How are you?
Your blog is gorgeous, Ruby! Great job, Bella.
Any chance we get the second part of the cooking show soon? Using a sword on a potato reminded me of a student in a cooking class. I saw him using a huge knife to peel a potato.
*wanders out again.*
Mmhmm. The cooking show is coming soon. Very very soon...
*wanders off, chuckling mysteriously*
av by dot
Posted : June 25, 2011 1:28 pm
*sneaks in and looks around*
Well, it's been awhile since i've been here hasn't it? At least 2 years is my guess.
*waves hello to all she does and doesn't know as she snags one of Jo's cupcakes for herself* Cupcakes, nice. Thanks Jo, and WB as I see you've just returned too!
So I was poked into here by a certain member, and I'm glad i'm returning now. I missed all the conversations I used to have in here so long ago! I'd try to catch up, lose track, and then try again another day which never worked.
Mountie and Mal, you guys need to do part two of the cooking show! I'm loving it so far. I'm cooking potatoes tonight for dinner so i'll need to see if I can find a good sword before then. It sounds so much more precise than a regular old kitchen knife. 
*waves again to all and settles down near the fountain to eat her cupcake and people watch*
Proud ballet dancer!
4/23/12 - First triple pirouette en pointe!
Posted : June 25, 2011 1:45 pm
Ruby, I just saw your mention about your blog, so I took a look. Beautiful! I really liked your article from the end of May where you made a point about "a choice between having an easy life and having an interesting life." Glad your family chose the "interesting" life!
Posted : June 25, 2011 6:44 pm
And now it's time for MORE Munchtime with Malcaroon and Muffin!
And after French fries and frosties, it's time for part 2! Yay! We should probably check on the soup we left simmering. Mmm, I can smell the potato-ketchupy goodness from here!
*nods* Indeed. She's been around and a cooking wizard since practically the dawn of time! Rather like Gandalf, actually. Except...she's a muffin. Anyway, would you like to introduce our next ingredient, O Ancient One?
Cannibalism? Oh no, they're DELICIOUS! Uh, I mean that I prefer to keep an open mind. We malcaroons have a high and lonely destiny, after all. Anyway, you're going to want to crunch up your cookies and stir them into the soup. Oh, and definitely taste-test your ingredient.
*whispers* THE SECRET INGREDIENT is well, SECRET. Classified information that if leaked, could change the course of human history FOREVER. So you all are sworn to secrecy.
They most definitely are fine little Onions! Such exemplary vegetables. That was one of the reasons we chose to host our show here in the Square in the first place, wasn't it, Muffin? And now, if we have your promise, it is time...to reveal...the SECRET INGREDIENT.
*gulps* It's...it's...CAFFEINATED JELLY BEANS. There, I said it. The secret's out!
Aw, thank you, ancient one! Now, Square Onions, this is a moment of momentousness. You are the first to ever behold CAFFEINATED JELLY BEANS. And what do we do with this ingredient, you ask? No mere chopping or peeling will do for this. Ohh no. For every SECRET INGREDIENT, there is a SECRET RITUAL.
Um... Tiki torches? Do you know where those are? They're in the deep most hidden corners of my closet, that's where! But... hmm. The occasion calls for something, so we'll have to ad-lib. Um... We could always light the ends of our breadsticks on fire.
You'd be surprised at all of the things I have in my closet, Malcaroon... it could make a TV show all of its own. Kind of like the Big Comfy Couch. Anyhoo, I'd rather eat the breadsticks too. And of course! Setting the jellybeans on fire is a genius idea, if not insane. Why didn't I think of that? Nope, I actually decided to bring my blowtorch to work today, lucky duck! Ah, here it is!
Yes, but let's not talk about that. Anyway, you'll want to put the jelly beans on the table and arrange them in a nice pattern or something... into maybe a heart shape or a picture of Abraham Lincoln. It doesn't really matter; they'll all be burnt to a crisp anyway.
Yes. Are you ready? *hands Malcaroon a mask* This could get a little messy. BWAHAHA! *lights up blow torch, after which the studio promptly explodes*
*Muffin is seen, her hair flying in all different directions. She pulls off her mask and laughs maniacally* It worked! It really worked! Did you think it would work, Mal? Cuz I really didn't think it would work, but it did! It worked! That was so totally epic!
*Mal appears, her face splotched with ketchup and looking rather like a raccoon* Wheeee! Can we do that again?! I didn't think it would work either, but we did it! And...*opens her mouth and catches some of the falling soup*...the soup is DELICIOUS. *cackles*
*high fives back* Thank you, O Ancient Muffin! It has been an honor to learn from someone with such blowtorching skillz. We shall have to do it again sometime.
That sounds good to me! So goodnight and happy cooking, dear Onions! We'll be back.
Mortereve! *waves and exits, leaving Square Soup behind for all who wish to sample*
the light after the storm
shows that hope was never gone
Snow After Fire graphics
Posted : June 26, 2011 7:22 pm
Hello, all!!
I have been a little busy this weekend. Went to see Cars 2, and then hung out watching the Brewers on tv on Saturday. And then sunday was full of Ice cream parlors, improv sing alongs, frisbee, sunshine, and lots of talking. Wonderful.
And . . me and my two siblings had a radio interview this morning. Very exciting.
Yup, Elanor, Geoffrey Rush played Javert in Les Mis.
Wow! I have to say I'm rather proud of myself for guessing that correctly! It's a good book; hard to read through, and it gets a little boring; but talk about inspiring!
Your blog is beautiful, Ruby!!
Hello, Elanor, and thanks for the welcome back!
It's a wonderful place; with wonderful people! Especially since you joined us.
*waves back to Mountie, and returns her big hugs* What shall we talk about? Did you do NaNo?
*waves to Gen and Pattertwigs Pal* WB!
NW sisters Lyn, Lia, and Rose
RL sister Destined_to_Reign
Member of the Tenth Avenue North and Pixar Club
Dubbed The Ally Of Epic Awesomeness by Libby
Posted : June 27, 2011 7:36 am
You watched the Brewers on TV on Saturday, Elanor? So did I. I bet you liked the outcome of the game better than I did, though.
His commentaries are really helpful and enlightening...though sometimes they can be a bit difficult to wade through.
I bet. Hebrews by itself can be a bit difficult. I loose the thread of the argument somewhere in chapter three and don't get unconfuzzled until chapter five.
Note to self: PM Ruby sooner rather than later.
What was it about [The King Raven trilogy] that you didn't like?
Well, it was one of those books where I'd heard about it, thought, "Oh WOW! What an absolutely fantastic premise!" and then built up my own notion of what it would be like and the reality failed to be amazing enough. Also, it felt like Bran's (and the others) awfulness was being paraded about without sufficient redemption. So I was disappointed and as often happens, I took a dislike to the book.
*waves Hello to Jacqi* Nice to meet you! Your idea of a map of NarniaWeb is a nifty one indeed.
Bella, did Ella ever finish her map of the Square? Can we see?
*snags a cupcake from jo's post and settles down to watch the second episode of Munchtime*
We have hands that fashion and heads that know,
But our hearts we lost - how long ago! -- G. K. Chesterton
Posted : June 27, 2011 11:11 am
Hello all!
Speaking of baseball, last night's Twins game (which I only heard about after the fact) was rather embarrassing...they lost to the Dodgers 18-0. Ouch. They are beating the Dodgers tonight however.
Today was a glorious summer day, with a high around 78F/26C. With much warmer (and more humid) conditions forecast for the rest of the week, I took the opportunity to have a very lengthy afternoon fire in the backyard today. Tonight I hope to catch the last good ISS pass for the next couple weeks.
*grabs one of jo's cupcakes and disappears with a wave to all the SquareOnions*
But all night, Aslan and the Moon gazed upon each other with joyful and unblinking eyes.
Posted : June 28, 2011 3:22 pm
Hmm. Between working quite a bit later than I'd planned and summer allergies, I'm still up.
I don't know as I'll have much time to stop by again, but since I'm here: Hullo!
Real life (work, grad school 
, etc.) just keeps me too busy to be here--and I can't neglect that.
Gosh! I've grown in so many ways since I was a regular here. I wouldn't say that I've changed really, just grown up. I am a bit embarrassed about how much I thought I knew about the world, when really, I'm only beginning to learn about it. 
For instance, letting go of the idea that a relationship has to work a certain way, follow certain rules, and so forth. (Greatly influenced by a boy who very nicely asked "How about lunch?" and has been around ever since 
).
Oh, well, where would life be if we didn't leave room for growth and change?
Narnia Web Private Detective
Posted : June 30, 2011 9:44 pm
Good Mortereve everybody!
I'm happy today. My sister and I went shopping this morning for dorm supplies and wound up buying clothes as well and we found beautiful matching hats. And then I got a B on my online test this afternoon (which isn't stupendous, but considering I don't like macroeconomics it's fairly good). And there's no school on Monday so I have an extra day to work on a research paper for class! *does a little happy dance*
*waves to Lady Amalthea, Cep, Miss R, and Elanor*
We have his albums, Love and Thunder, Carried Along, Counting Stars, Resurrection Letters II, Behold The Lamb Of God, and Far Country. AND we have his books On The Edge Of the Dark Sea of Darkness and North! Or be Eaten. I've read the first one, but no the second one yet! I think he's one of the best authors of childrens' books ever!
I've heard almost all of those. He's a really good songwriter and author. His third book came out last month I believe. It's title is The Monster in the Hollows.
*waves to stargazer and Prince Cor*
Hello, jacqi! Welcome to the Square!
*waves to Bella (not from Twilight)*
What a lovely rainbow of dittos Miss R!
I've read To Kill a Mockingbird, Riella. I liked it quite a bit. Particularly all the parts with Atticus Finch.
*sends a cheery "Hello" back to jo and nabs a cupcake*
*waves to Twigs and Mountie*
Ooh! The second half of Munchtime! A secret ingredient? *seals lips* 
There! I shan't tell anyone.
*waves Mel and Marigold*
Ta-ta for now!
Narniaweb sister to Pattertwig's Pal
Posted : July 1, 2011 11:16 am
*wanders into the Square, nabbing a Weekend Cupcake on her way to the chocolate tree* (It isn't the weekend anymore... that's still legal, right?) Good mortereve, all!
Pretty blog, Ruby! It looks so pretty and summery. I started one recently as well. I especially like the title you chose: "Vapor in the Wind". Neat!
I hope that concert works out for you, Louise the first! Do keep us posted.
I shall, thanks!
Hehe. Speaking of which, I now have a quite epic Deathly Hallows poster in my room. Very exciting.
*reaaaaaally likes Geoffrey Rush's acting as well* And Russell Crowe. He's my favorite actor at the moment.
*waves to Pattertwig's Pal (hurray for sunshine!), Fireflower (ooh yes, picture please!), and TheGentleWarrior (good to see you again!)*
*dives under the chocolate tree to avoid the potato-ketchup-chocolate chip cookie-caffeinated jelly bean soup* *spluttercoughgaspchoke* Well. THAT was an adventure.
A radio interview, Elanor? Interesting! What about?
Lol, well I'd be pretty proud of myself as well. Cool, cool! I actually haven't read Les Mis completely through yet. I can imagine it would take awhile, and I haven't had the time. BUT. It is going to happen, one of these days.
*waves to MarigoldGamgee and DotK (hurrah for matching hats! Are they big? Ooh, and dorm room supplies. I've been doing a bit of that myself, though it's my bedroom that is being decorated. Totally redone, rather. )*
Icon by fireworks123
NW little sister to Windsong
NW twin to Rosie
"I don't run away from a challenge because I am afraid. Instead, I run toward it because the only way to escape fear is to trample it beneath your feet." -Nadia Comaneci
Posted : July 1, 2011 1:11 pm
Hey ho, all ye SquareOnions! 
Oh and for those of you who were talking about Bible memorization, I'm working on memorizing Mark.
Excellent, Twigs! That would be quite an adventure ... 16 chapters, wow! Kimberly/Nellie and I are working on Ephesians. We just finished memorizing chapter 1!
*waves back to Mountie enthusiastically-squared*
TheGentleWarrior , so nice to see you again!
*giggles at the Munchtime post*
*waves cheerily to Elanor, and even curtsies* 
Ruby, your blog entry from the end of May really stood out to me (the one Jacqi mentioned). It's so neat to see how your priorities are so obviously others-centered. I especially like this paragraph:
And the more I think about it, I can't help but conclude that the true treasure in life is not the materials we obtain, the money we pile up, the goals we achieve, but rather the people we touch, the lives we share our own lives with, and the ones we pour ourselves out for.
... as well as this line
My sister pointed out that my parents' choice was a choice between having an easy life and having an interesting life.
Boy, I'm sure glad I left those cuppycakes, 'cause I think there has hardly been a post that's gone by whose post-er hasn't 'snagged' one, lol!
Mmmm, your long, leisurely afternoon fire sounds so lovely, stargazer!
Marigold Gamgee! Grand to see you again! You're in grad school: fantastic! What is your focus? And how wonderful about that special guy in your life.
Oh, well, where would life be if we didn't leave room for growth and change?
Hear-hear! 
So, DOT, you're still in school now? Are you going through the summer term?
*greatly admires Andrew Peterson as well* It does help that two major influences and loves of his life are CSL and JRRT.
Ooooh, Louise the Second, who is on your new Deathly Hallows poster?
So, let me get this straight: not only did you nab a cuppycake, but you're also eating chocolate from the tree? Better jog a few miles tonight, m'dear. 
And you're getting your bedroom re-done? Nice! Different ... everything? (Or nearly?) Enjoy!
And way back on page 76,
I LOVE John Denver! Especially ‘Leaving on a Jet Plane’ and ‘Rocky Mountain High.’ There’s something so stirring about his unpolished, acoustic music. It hits some kind of cord in my.
Ditto. (And a big HI YA' to you, Ara! ) Except I wonder what comes after the "in my" in your post. I think I would put in "being", possibly.
Well, summer is definitely here! Thankfully, though, even though we have had some warm days, we haven't had nearly as many humid days as we did last year at this time. And we're getting quite a nice balance of rain and sun. I'm hoping this pattern will continue throughout July (which is typically our hottest month), as summer is by far my least favourite season. The only good things about it in my humble hobbit opinion are:
*gardening and yard work (love both of those!)
*fresh/local fruits and vegetables
*swimming outside
Speaking of the latter, we just spent a year (minus the winter months) fixing up our 40-year old pool to change it into a lap/length pool. We got the liner in this past week, and filled the 50,000 litres of pool with water. Today was our first day of swimming! 
Marvelous, it was! Here is what it looks like. Now, the rest of the summer will be spent cleaning up the construction materials and getting the surrounding areas more aesthetically-pleasing.
Still, I'm counting the time until those cool, crisp days of autumn. ♥
Okay, what should I leave this time? I know! A fresh veggie tray. Enjoy! Vern might even want a taste of this. As long as he leaves some for us. You keep an eye on him, 'k, PrinceCor?
Signature by Narnian_Badger, thanks! (2013)
7,237 posts from Forum 1.0
Posted : July 1, 2011 1:51 pm
*Waves back to everybody*
My area of study for graduate school is communication, with emphasis on community relations and crisis management.
I wanted to study library science in graduate school for a long time (and I might get an additional degree in that in the future), but overall I think this is a better fit at this point in my life.
I still love books, although most of my book buying and reading consists of textbooks and so forth lately. 
Les Mis is awesome, Miss Rosario. Do read it all some time if you can!
Narnia Web Private Detective
Posted : July 1, 2011 2:11 pm
*enters the square* Hello, everyone!
It's been scorching hot lately, and I'm really loving it. For me, summer is defined by sitting outside in the sun and blazing heat, drinking Iced tea, and getting a tan. And I've been doing a lot of that lately. Also what I plan to do while in DC. I'm so excited for that trip, and it's coming up!
You watched the Brewers on TV on Saturday, Elanor? So did I.
How cool!! Yes, I loved it!! But now we're quickly going downhill - tied for division lead with the cardinals. I think that's the right thing to say, anyway.
(Greatly influenced by a boy who very nicely asked "How about lunch?" and has been around ever since
This really made me grin. I'm so happy for you!
And hello - I don't think we've met! You can call me Ellie, Ela, or Ella - whatever you choose.
*waves to DotK* How are you doing? Your shopping trip sounds like so much fun, what were your hats like?
A radio interview, Elanor? Interesting! What about?
About the play me and my two siblings are in. We're trying to do a lot of publicity, and they asked us to go on, to show that it's a "family affair". Fun!
Lol, well I'd be pretty proud of myself as well.
Goodie, I hope it happens soon, and you enjoy it.
Seriously? That dip and veggie tray looks amazing, Jo. *helps herself*
*waves cheerily to Elanor, and even curtsies* Image
Oh, I am lucky! I get a curtsy!
NW sisters Lyn, Lia, and Rose
RL sister Destined_to_Reign
Member of the Tenth Avenue North and Pixar Club
Dubbed The Ally Of Epic Awesomeness by Libby
Posted : July 2, 2011 5:14 am
*Hauls herself in and takes a seat next to the fountain, hoping to be sprayed by some of it's water*
Mortereve everyone! It's so incredibly hot out here, i'm dying! Temperature hit exactly 100 degrees an hour ago, uggh. 
I seriously hope it isn't this hot next Saturday when I have to be on a plane for awhile!
*looks at Jo's veggie tray and snags some carrots and dip*
Yum, looks good. And it's good to be back and see you all again, thanks!
*Waves to Rosa* Thanks! I'm glad to actually have managed to haul myself back here.
*Waves hello to Marigold Gamgee*
*Waves to Ela* You seriously like this heat? I might have been born in the south, but I hate the heat! I do nothing but burn and pass out if I step outside, so there's no benefits for me. Of course, it's always a good excuse to go skating however....
You're going to DC? Have fun! When are you going? I'm not going this time 'round, for my trip to NY, but my family may go to DC this September along with visiting our grandparents again. It's not definite yet, but I can't wait! My first actual visit to DC was in 09, and I was so mad I couldn't spend enough time there. It's an amazing place to be, isn't it?
*waves to all and settles down to enjoy the rest of Munchtime part 2 (Great job Mal and Mountie)*
Proud ballet dancer!
4/23/12 - First triple pirouette en pointe!
Posted : July 2, 2011 10:09 am
Hey, SquareOnions!
I'm watching the Battlestar Galactica marathon on BBC America and thought I'd stop by the Square.
Mmmm, your long, leisurely afternoon fire sounds so lovely, stargazer!
Indeed it was, jo! And now that the ridiculous heat of the last few days has broken, tomorrow evening will feature another fire with Abby and her family. We must continue the training of the next generation of firebenders.
It's been scorching hot lately, and I'm really loving it. For me, summer is defined by sitting outside in the sun and blazing heat...
That's what I do in the winter. Seriously, though, I'm glad you're enjoying the heat. I just sit and lurk by the AC vents until the heat goes away. And, for the moment at least, it has. Highs are only in the 80sF for the next few days - so much better than the 'feels-like' temps around 110F of the last few days.
...not only did you nab a cuppycake, but you're also eating chocolate from the tree? Better jog a few miles tonight, m'dear.
But that's the beauty of these virtual treats...they're calorie-free.
Still, between the sweets and that veggie tray, I'm getting hungry. I should depart to look into my evening meal.
*waves to all on the way out*
But all night, Aslan and the Moon gazed upon each other with joyful and unblinking eyes.
Posted : July 2, 2011 1:10 pm