I left my hobbit hole this morning in a rush, with not so much as a second breakfast in my belly! I had to meet my fellow hobbits (as well as a few dwarves) for some strange, troublesome thing called "Calculus class". They actually wanted me to sit there, for 2 hours, and solve their problems for them. What's more, they wanted me to pay hard earned gold to do it! Preposterous!

After I had finished drawing the pretty footpaths they call "graphs" and optimizing how many boxty's a hobbit should make to fill their stomach (a most benign question, as every good hobbit knows the answer is 3 at elevensies and 6 at luncheon), I was finally released from that Mordor of a place. I hooked up my pony to the buggy and headed home at a lazy trot.

When I got back to the hobbit-hole, I saw that a courier had delivered two packages to my doorstep! I quickly ran inside, grabbed my trusty blade, and opened them both. The first package was a metal contraption, something I hear they call "DNA", they say it is inside every cell, but I wouldn't know because I've never seen the inside of a cell. I might have to ask the Tooks across the river, they tend to get in trouble a lot so maybe the sheriff has put one of them in a cell before?

To my surprise, the other package was a lovely book filled with Hobbit-friendly recipes! Now, everyone who knows Hobbits knows they love 3 things, to drink, to eat, and to COOK! This book covers 2 of those things, so I am happier than a warg in a pasture full of sheep with it! There are even some fun Middle Earth themed recipes, like making the dreaded "Eye of Sauron". I can't wait to try so many of these recipes, like the bannocks, hand pies, venison cobbler, and winebraised oxtails. I will probably start with the roast rack of lamb though, as I traded farmer Maggot for a lamb last week and it's eating up my precious garden!

Thank you kind "Santa", you are one of the kindest Hobbits of all.