Month: June 2011

The Gift of Invisibility

On By Betty OwensIn Bilbo, Gift of Invisibility, Invisibility, Jael of Rogan, The Lord of the Rings2 Comments

Have you ever wished you could just disappear when the pressures of life close in? At work, when someone’s looking for you? At home when the kids are driving you crazy? What if it was really possible? 
Some say it is. In this article from Wired Science, I read about the existence of “invisibility crystals.” Potter fans say all you need is a cloak. Well, there’s an actual invisibility cloak according to this article by Charles Q. Choi, Invisibility Cloak: Now you see it, now you don’t.
In The Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkien) a ring rendered Bilbo invisible. There was also an elven cloak later in The Lord of the Rings that enabled its wearer to blend into his or her surroundings. And of course, there’s the Bible. There were incidences in the Bible when saints disappeared, some to reappear in another place. Catholic believers will remember several of the ancient saints practiced the gift of invisibility. Eastern religions also spoke of it. 
Jael of Rogan, the heroine of my fantasy novels, practices invisibility. She discovers the gift quite by accident. It comes in handy several times. In The Lady of the Haven, she “fades into the background.” That’s a talent I could use at work. In the second book, A Gathering of Eagles, she learns to travel while invisible. Think of the gas you’d save! 

Father’s Day – A Dedication

On By Betty OwensIn Fathers Day, Robert Frost
On the way home from Mom’s house today, I ran into heavy traffic. Spur of the moment, I turned off the main road onto a back road I knew would take me across country to my subdivision. This was a one-lane road, with a gravel shoulder just in case you meet another vehicle. It is definitely a road less traveled. I didn’t expect to meet another vehicle and I wasn’t disappointed. 
The road twists and turns through woods and fields with steep inclines. Driving down this beautiful stretch of back road through deeply shaded woods and bright green open meadows, I was reminded of the Robert Frost poem, “…the woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep…and miles to go before I sleep.” I took a few minutes to breathe and remember. Sometimes, when you’re really busy, you just get tired. I needed a second wind.
Mom, Dad and Thomas, 2006
Mom and I had visited Dad’s grave. The picture you see here is the last one taken of him. Mom’s holding little Thomas, their great grandson and Dad’s namesake. Thomas will be five next week. Yesterday would have been Dad’s 80th birthday. He may never know I honored him with a visit, but I know. I miss him.  
I have chosen a road less traveled in another area of my life. It’s not an easy road, but it’s one I’ve chosen and I mean to pursue it to the end. It will require study and hard work to achieve it, but I know I can do it and I’m not giving up. I think Dad would be proud.