G is for Roger Lancelyn Green (A to Z on Tolkien and the Inklings)

G is for Roger Lancelyn Green, who studied under C. S. Lewis and later became friends with him, sometimes sharing a drink with the Inklings at the Bird and Baby. The most well-known of his works are the retellings of the myths of Greece and the stories of King Arthur.

I have a couple of his books (in that pile in storage!) but haven't read them yet. I haven't even read his biography of Lewis!

Today is, therefore, another off-day. I'm going to post the fourth installment of 30 Things I Want To Do.

Part One was in 2009
Part Two was in 2011
Part Three was in 2025, and expanded to three lists (Simmering on the Back Burner Writing Projects, Blog Tasks, and Things I Need An Intern For)

For Part Four, I'm going to annotate the original list:

1. Find an agent for my novels! [still a goal!]
2. Pick out and decorate a real Christmas tree [still to do!]
3. Visit all 50 states (27 to go) [Adding to this, I'd like to visit lots more places in Europe!]
4. Drive from London to Istanbul (taking the Dover-Calais ferry, not the Chunnel, natch) [still to do!]
5. Actually finish reading all the books I own [I'm trying!]
6. Have a proper English library [maybe once we get our books from storage...]
7. Spend some time being a boat and fishing person [this might be easier in Geneva]
8. Snowshoe [ditto. Also skiing...]
9. Travel more in Europe. Actually use all the German and Welsh and Swedish and Russian and Spanish I've learned [actually, all of these should be easier here in Switzerland. Not that they were impossible in Montreal, but somehow things seem more accessible here. Including the next four]
10. Ride on a fast horse
11. Practice archery
12. Play more golf
13. Milk a cow, make yogurt, churn butter, that sort of thing
14. See The Divine Comedy and Gyllene Tider and Runrig in concert
15. Attend the Surrey International Writers' Conference [maybe this autumn!!]
16. Stay at the Algonquin Hotel, NYC
17. Watch more old movies from the 50s and earlier
18. Get a Master's Degree and write my thesis on Tolkien
19. Subscribe to the NME or Q or Mojo or the New York Times [I thought this would be easier here, but nope, still expensive]
20. Use my CrockPot and juicer [in storage...]
21. Grow a garden [we just bought a lemon tree and strawberry plant!]
22. Complete my state coins collection (only missing Texas, California, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Washington and Alaska!)
23. Ski
24. Learn how to cure olives and attend an olive pressing (for oil)
25. Read more books in different languages
26. Attend Festival in the Shire in Machynlleth! [Also the Hay Festival in Hay-on-Wye...]
27. Visit Saint Catherine's monastery at Mount Sinai and Sumela monastery at Trabzon
28. Watch a cat give birth (or another animal) in real life and not on YouTube [why on earth did I ever want to do this? It's interesting, sure, but hardly a top 30 goal]
29. Visit Patagonia and Antarctica and Australia and other far places
30. Really learn how to crochet and spin

Some of these items seem a lot less pressing now, seven years on from the original list. I'd move the boating and horseback riding adventures higher up!

What's on your long-term list?

Comments

J Lenni Dorner said…
J here, stopping by from the #atozchallenge - where I am part of Arlee Bird's A to Z Ambassador Team.
How has the first week of the challenge been for you so far? Are you meeting your goals of posting and hopping to other blogs?
My blog has a giveaway with bonus a to z challenges to encourage people to visit more stops.
http://jlennidornerblog.what-are-they.com
I've followed your listed social media.
Those are some fantastic goals! And really interesting ones that I rarely hear. You want to churn butter? I suggest finding some Mennonites.
Karen Baldwin said…
I like hearing more about the Inklings. One of my goals is to find true love again. I still believe in fairy tales.
Scarlett Braden said…
I want to go to the Galapagos. I moved to Ecuador 18 months ago, os I'm getting closer! Best of luck with the A to Z challenge!
@ScarlettBraden from
Frankly Scarlett
Patrick Stahl said…
I've read his King Arthur book (or one of them, if there are more than one)!
Hi Deniz - well done on being so organised and achieving your goals as you go along ... my goal is to do what unexpectedly needs to be done - and complete efficiently .. take care - have a good weekend - Hilary
Deniz Bevan said…
Thanks for coming by, all!

Hi, J. I'm at 50/50 -- been managing to keep up with posting, but commenting...today's the first day I've had to try and play catch up. Feel so guilty that I haven't made any rounds before today! It's a shame, cos I love this challenge, but so far only have time to reply to comments on my own blog. Maybe later in the week I can take more of a "stroll" and visit other bloggers too...