text:
Kelly says Alliance plan on gritting will deliver results
Antrim Alliance Councillor Neil Kelly said he is pleased that a winter gritting bill is part of the Alliance Party's legislative programme for the next Assembly term, stating he believes such a bill will deliver real results for people during difficult icy conditions. Alliance yesterday launched their Legislative Programme, the first of its kind ever published by a political party in Northern Ireland.
Cllr Neil Kelly said: "This bill suggestion is an important and very welcome proposal. It will provide clear lines of accountability as to who is responsible for gritting footpaths across Northern Ireland. This is greatly needed as we do not want a winter like the one we have just had where people in Antrim were stuck in their homes due to the severe weather conditions. Lack of gritting affected all of us but in particular older people and those with disabilities who are among the most vulnerable within our community. Business in Antrim Town centre also suffered greatly during this time as people were often unable to get to the shops.
"This plan for legislation and indeed the other proposed billd within the document clearly show that the Alliance Party is leading change in Northern Ireland."
Excerpt from Alliance Legislative Programme about their plans on gritting
Winter Gritting Bill
This Bill would address the current gaps in legislation which does not provide a clear duty on either the Department of Regional Development or District Councils with respect to the gritting of footpaths. This bill would also clarify the laws in relation to the liability faced by the public in clearing or gritting footpaths or roads.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Sports Biz Connect is an annual networking event sponsored by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission that brings businesses and sports events together in one setting and aims to create new and stronger working relationships that result in building business relationships.
The event is held at a local venue and features partner booths, networking opportunities, food and prizes. It's a great way to connect with the sports industry and see what you can do to make our community even better.


Rassie Erasmus says wasted opportunities and ill-discipline cost the Springboks the match at Twickenham on Saturday.
The Boks slumped to a disappointing 12-11 defeat to England in their tour opener.
While the big talking point afterwards was referee Angus Gardner's decision not to penalise Owen Farrell for a shoulder charge on André Esterhuizen in the last play of the game, Erasmus focused on his own team's performance.
'The two things which we didn't do well was to finish our opportunities and our discipline,' he said. 'It doesn't matter how you look at it, if you don't finish off your opportunities and give away too many penalties, you will lose the Test match.
Erasmus said he was pleased with the performances of Damian Willemse at fullback and Ivan van Zyl at scrumhalf. Willemse made his first start for the team while Van Zyl only had one previous start in the No 9 jersey.
The Springboks travel to Paris on Sunday and will play France next Saturday evening at the Stade de France.


Summer is here and for many including myself that means traveling. Family vacations can equal hundreds if not thousands of miles and that means memories will be made for in the future. Right? You know the memories that everyone has of going to Disney Land, Mount Rushmore or the zoo two states over. All if it can equal some amazing memories, a few to be had now and even more memories to fill in ten years from now.
Why do the memories always seem to get better as we age? Possibly because we become more nostalgic or actually realize what taking a family vacation means for our parents and the work they put into it. We are able to appreciate the vacation more, right? Well the truth of the matter is that over time we forget about the boredom in the car, the yelling from parent to child and the bickering between the kids. The constant bickering and the noise that never seems to end. I know I can't be the only one that at times actually dreads the vacation because we cram everything we can into a few days and the kids are tired, whiny and the fighting just gets worse, along with the boredom of 2,000 miles in the car.
With the help of Rebecca's splendid ideas and a group of amazing women I feel like I will be a bit more armed to take on the summer driving and summer activities, this summer we will be using Busy Bags. Some would call them quiet bags but my boys are far from quiet while doing them and even others refer to them as church bags. No matter what you call them they will be helping me keep my sanity this summer, whether in the car or out. I will be stocking up every nook and cranny in my house with a couple of these bags, keeping a few special ones back for long road trips and keeping a few others in the Yukon for everyday use. I admit I am no stranger to the portable DVD player but we do use it sparingly so we have to be a little bit inventive when it comes to keeping the peace in the car.
So this summer as you hit the road, church or just need some quiet time with occupied children I encourage these busy bags/quiet bags/church activities. Form a co-op like we did and get to exchanging, perhaps monthly to really get a large variety of bags and levels.
These free blog printables might be some help on the road this summer as well. Remember that I laminate all of my blog printables with my Scotch Thermal Laminator so that they can easily be re-used.
How do you keep your kids happy in the car for long rides? Do you have a favorite game you play only in the car? Perhaps a favorite treat that is reserved just for long rides?
This is a fun idea! The possibilities are endless and the activities can be easily switched out!


text:
Traveling in Books
"A safe fairyland is untrue to all worlds." -J.R.R. Tolkien
The Lord of the Rings Reread
LotR Reread: Once More Unto the Breach
March 16, 2019 March 15, 2019 / Kim @ Traveling in Books
Chapter IX: The Last Debate
Legolas and Gimli are walking through Minas Tirith on their way to the Houses of Healing. Gimli thinks the place needs improvements in its stonework, and Legolas thinks it needs more gardens. Both vow to send their people to improve the city, assuming they win the hopeless war, but in the meantime, they want to visit Merry. The find Prince Imrahil and give him a message from Aragorn- he's not going to come back into the city until the war is over, but they need to plan the last battles and would the leaders of the gathered armies meet with Aragorn in his tent on the Pelennor Fields?
Imrahil heads out, and we continue on with Legolas and Gimli to the Houses of Healing. Along the way, Legolas hears the calls of gulls. He hasn't heard them until recently, but Galadriel warned him that the sound would awaken a longing for the sea that would not be satisfied until he departed for Valinor with the rest of his people. Gimli's upset by this, and while Legolas isn't going to up and leave right now, he will eventually. The departure to Valinor is part of his nature. The future of Middle-earth is for Men.
They find Merry and Pippin in the Houses of Healing and recount their adventure along the Paths of the Dead. The hobbits have heard of it, but don't know much about it. Legolas is willing to tell the story because he had little to fear from the ghosts of Men. They rode for days from the Stone of Erech, with the dead riding behind until they came to Linhir where the men of Lamedon fought the Haradrim and the men of Umbar. The dead army defeated those foes, and Aragorn continued on with them, driving Sauron's forces ahead of them and defeating those who stood in their way until they reached the fleet of the Corsairs of Umbar. The dead army overwhelmed them with fear alone. Then Aragorn and his mortal army boarded the ships, and Aragorn released the dead army so they might find peace. Their oath was finally fulfilled.
After setting the ships' captives and slaves free (though many stayed with them now that they were free), the fleet rowed up the river towards Minas Tirith, and so arrived just in time to help win the battle for Gondor.
You can tell that Tolkien is from a different era in the way he told his stories. Current fantasy writers would devote many, many pages to Aragorn leading his dead army through multiple battles, but Tolkien tells it as a sort of flashback, with one character telling another, "yeah, we did this thing and it was kind of amazing". When facing so many epic fantasy series with seven, ten, or more 800-page volumes detailing every last battle, conversation, and horse's bridle, it's a little refreshing to have a big event like this summarized, especially since we've just read about the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.
And speaking of the fields… Imrahil meets up with Aragorn to work out a strategy for the next battle, for there will be another one, and this will be worse than the last. Their combined forces are nothing compared to what Sauron will throw at them, for the Dark Lord sent only a small part of his legions against Minas Tirith. So while the name of the chapter is "The Last Debate", there isn't much of a debate going on. Aragorn and Gandalf already know the next move. There is no hope of defeating Sauron through strength of arms, but they can divert Sauron's attention away from Frodo and Sam long enough for them to get to Mount Doom to destroy the Ring.
What's the plan, then? To take a large enough army to the gates of Mordor to make Sauron think that Aragorn has claimed the Ring and means to challenge Sauron. Why do they think this will work? Because Aragorn isn't just any guy. He is a descendant of Thingol and Melian, a descendant of Eärendil, the heir of Isildur with the blood of Númenor flowing through his veins. Ancient power runs through his family, and even if it's just an echo of what it was in the First Age, it's enough to bring back some of the glory of old and unite the people of Middle-earth. So Sauron has a reason to fear Aragorn, and because he desires power more than anything, he can't conceive of a person who would willingly give up power– aka, the Ring– if it was within their grasp.
Basically, the debate involves getting everyone else on board with Aragorn's plan. He can't just order everyone to follow him on a hopeless mission. Aragorn and Gandalf have to talk them into it. Fortunately, they are both wise and manage to talk sense into them. If the Ring is destroyed, Sauron will lose the majority of his strength and in so doing will fall and never be able to rise up again and one great evil will be destroyed. That's not to say that evil will be defeated forever, just that this power will be defeated. As Gandalf says, "…it is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succor of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to til. What weather they shall have is not ours to rule."
In other words, it's up to us to make the world as good as we can so our heirs will have a chance to thrive, though they will have their own battles to fight.
When the debate is ended, the assembled lords will take seven thousand men under Aragorn's banner, march upon Mordor, and give Frodo his chance to destroy Sauron's power forever.
Chapter X: The Black Gate Opens
So Aragorn, Gandalf, Éomer, Legolas, Gimli, Imrahil, and Pippin ride out with an army of 7,000. It's not the entirety of their strength, but they don't want to leave Minas Tirith undefended. There are orcs and other enemies still in the north and word is that they're on their way to Minas Tirith. With no front gate to keep the bad guys out, Aragorn has to leave a bunch of soldiers behind. Poor Merry is left behind, too. He hasn't recovered yet. Éowyn and Faramir are still recovering as well. More on them later.
The army marches on, and by evening the come to the crossroads- the same one that Frodo and Sam reached days earlier. Aragorn has trumpeters go out to blow a fanfare and announce that the lords of Gondor have returned. There is silence in response. If there are any enemies there, they are staying hidden. From here, they had a choice of paths. They could go to Minas Morgul and attack Mordor from a weaker point, or they could march on the Black Gate itself. Gandalf refused to allow a debate on marching to Minas Morgul since that was the last place Frodo was headed. If they draw Sauron's attention there, all would be lost if Frodo really was there. So they continue on toward the Black Gate through an eerily silent land that grows eerier and more threatening with every mile.
In Ithilien, the encounter a company of orcs and easily defeat them, but they aren't heartened by the victory. Sauron can strategize, too. Aragorn thinks he is trying to lead them on and gauge the army's strength. And now the remaining Ringwraiths are hovering above them, filling the Men with dread.
Photo by Francesco Ungaro on Pexels.com
On the fourth day, they reach dead lands beneath Mordor. This place is terrifying, and not just because everything is dead. The closer you come to Mordor the more dread there is. It's long been a place of horror in the tales and legends of the West, and some of the men are so terrified that they cannot continue on. Their fear has overcome them. Rather than getting mad at these men for their fear (as many war leaders would have done), Aragorn has pity on them: "…for these were young men from Rohan, from Westfold far away, or husbandmen from Lossarnach, and to them Mordor had been from childhood a name of evil, and yet unreal… and now they walked like men in a hideous dream made true and they understood not this war nor why fate should lead them to such a pass." In other words, these are farmboys and stablehands who had simple lives and are encountering the worst of war, just like the farmboys and stablehands Tolkien might have encountered in the trenches of the Battle of the Somme. They heard stories about Mordor and war but never imagined they'd be right in the middle of it all. It's enough to freak out a hardened warrior, let alone a kid who's fresh off the farm.
In his wisdom and mercy, Aragorn gives them a task that will take them away from this horrible place, but allow them to keep their honor. They will retake Cair Andros, if they can, and hold it for Gondor in the last defense. Thanks to his mercy, some of the men find their courage and continue on, while the rest take hope in the fact that there is an urgent mission for them to accomplish. With those departures and the men that Aragorn left behind to guard Ithilien, there are now 6,000 men left to march on the Black Gate.
On the morning of the sixth day, they reach the Black Gate. The land is foul, torn up, and riddled with the awful works of the orcs. The Black Gate is closed, and there seem to be no guards or sentinels on the great walls. Aragorn arrays his forces as he can to wait for Mordor's response, and then he and his captains ride forth to meet whatever ambassador of Sauron's will speak with them. The group consists of Aragorn, Gandalf, Éomer, Imarahil, Legolas, Gimli, Pippin, along with Elrond's sons Elladan and Elrohir. They demand that someone come to answer for Sauron's crimes against the peoples of Middle-earth.
Finally, someone comes out. He's a Man, dressed all in black with a skull-like mask. He is the Lieutenant of the Tower of Barad-dur, and if he ever had a name it has long been forgotten, even by him. He is one of the Black Númenoreans (black for their evil deeds, not skin color). He mocks the company at first, declaring that there is no one there with authority enough to make a treaty, and mocking Aragorn and his lineage before insulting Gandalf and showing the wizard a set of tokens he was given for this meeting: Sam's short sword, a gray cloak with an elven-brooch, and the coat of mithril-mail Frodo wore from Rivendell. The ones who know what these things are lose all hope. If the Lieutenant of Barad-dur has these things, it can only mean that Sam and Frodo have been captured. Sauron must have the Ring. All their efforts have been in vain.
When the Lieutenant sees their reactions (especially Pippin's) he is pleased. He's an awful person, after all, and he says Frodo will suffer horribly for years and years unless they agree to Sauron's terms: this army will withdraw beyond the Anduin and take oaths never to attack Sauron again. All lands east of the Anduin will be Sauron's, and the lands to the west of the river will pay tribute to Sauron and never have weapons again. They will rebuild Isengard, too so Sauron's lieutenant can live there.
Of course, Aragorn and Co. aren't stupid. They know they will be slaves, and that Sauron's lieutenant- the one right in front of them- will be their tyrant.
It's a lot to give up for the sake of one person (though you wouldn't know it from all the superhero movies, where the characters love their Significant Other soooooo much they're willing to let half the universe die so they can save that loved one…). Gandalf might seem very cold-blooded at this moment. He cares about Frodo, after all. But in the end, Frodo is just one person. His life isn't worth more than literally every other life in Middle-earth. Besides. Gandalf suspects that he doesn't have the whole story. He takes Frodo and Sam's things and tells the Lieutenant off. The Lieutenant is enraged, but he's not above fear and these dreadful captains of Men scare the hell out of him. He turns tail and rides back to the gate.
That's the moment when Sauron's forces begin to move. The Black Gate opens wide and endless hordes of orcs come pouring out, along with trolls, and above them all fly the Nazgûl. It's a dark day for the peoples of Middle-earth. Pippin is terrified but stands tall anyway. He's begun to understand Denethor's point of view, "Well, well, now at any rate I understand poor Denethor a little better. We might die together, Merry and I, and since die we must, why not? Well, as he is not here, I hope he'll find an easier end. But now I must do my best."
Pippin sure has changed since that irresponsible young hobbit we met back in the Shire, hasn't he?
The first lines of orcs start to crash into them, and before Pippin knows it the battle is all around him, with no possible end in sight. Hill-trolls rush the line, breaking through their defenses. Beside Pippin, Beregond is stunned by the captain of the hill-trolls. He moves to defend his friend and stabs straight upward with the sword of Westernesse he got from the barrow long ago. The blade pierces the trolls hide and kills him, but he collapses on Pippin, crushing him to the ground.
Before things go dark, Pippin hears voices crying out that the Eagles are coming! For a moment, Pippin thinks of Bilbo, then realizes that's a different story. "This is my tale, and it is ended now. Good-bye!"
Next Week: We get caught up with Frodo (who's not quite dead) and Sam (who simply walks into Mordor) in 'The Tower of Cirith Ungol' and 'The Land of Shadow'.
Books, Lord of the Rings
Aragorn, book blog, Books, Gimli, J. R. R. Tolkien, JRR Tolkien, Legolas, Lord of the Rings reread, LotR, LotR ReRead, Reading The Lord of the Rings, The Black Gate Opens, The Last Debate, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Tolkien, Tolkien nerd
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Reading Valdemar: Storm Warning
Sunday Sum-Up, 07/14/2019
Sci-Fi Recommendations
Book Review: Storm of Locusts
Book Review: Gods of Jade and Shadow
It seems that both of my cats like to sit on my books. The stray kitten I found last week is doing well, thanks to the veterinarian's medical help and advice from a woman who fosters kittens for a local animal rescue company. My older cat is getting along with her as well as could be expected, given his normal grouchy demeanor. I am thinking of naming the kitten Mina, after Mina Harker from Bram Stoker's Dracula. . . . #kitten #catsofinstagram #dune #bookstagram #blackcat #literarynamesake #literarycats
I enjoyed the first book in Rebecca Roanhorse's Sixth World series, Trail of Lightning, but the second book, Storm of Locusts, is even better! Maybe it's because I'm more familiar with the world this time around. I am looking forward to the next one! . . . #books #bookish #thesixthworld #stormoflocusts #rebeccaroanhorse #urbanfantasy #fantasynovel #bookstagram #booknerd #booklove #instabook
This year I've been rereading a bunch of Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar books for #ReadingValdemar with a couple of blogger friends. I had forgotten how enjoyable these books are, in spite of their many flaws. They're about good people doing their best to do good things, and with all the grimdark fantasies out there, the Mage Storm trilogy is a comfort read, like eating caramel popcorn. Not the best thing out there, but it's still fun. . . . #valdemar #amreading #mercedeslackey #stormwarning #fantasynovel #instabook #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #favoritebooks #magichorses
Part of my July TBR. Not pictured: the three ebooks I plan to read, which include an ARC of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's upcoming book, Gods of Jade and Shadow. . . . #bookstack #tbr #toread #books #booklove #instabook #bookstagram #reading #ReadingValdemar
I wasn't very interested in The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert when it first came out, but I couldn't pass up this nearly pristine hardcover when I saw it for $1 on my library's sale shelf. The cover is beautiful, and the texture of its paper is like velvet. I just want to touch it... . Have you read The Hazel Wood? What did you think of it? . . . #books #thehazelwood #melissaalbert #beautifulbook #coverart #bookcover #instabook #booklove #bookstagram #booknerd
This morning I woke up to a blast of thunder so loud it rattled the walls and set off car alarms around the neighborhood. Now it's just raining. Perfect reading weather! . . Istanbul: Memories and the City by Orhan Pamuk is one of my current reads. So far, I am enjoying this blend of memoir and history book. . . . #bookstagram #books #amreading #orhanpamuk #memoir #stormymorning #reading #booklove #bookstagrammer #instabook


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