Happy Birthday William Shakespeare!

Today is William Shakespeare’s birthday.  The Bard of Avon, whose words expressed the joys and tragedies of humanity, our gratitude…

Happy Birthday!

“As an unperfect actor upon the stage
Who with much fear is put besides his part
Or some fierce thing, replete with too much rage
Whose strengths abundance weakens his own heart
So I, for fear of trust, forget to say
The perfect ceremony of love’s rite
And in mine own love’s strength seem to decay
O’ercharged with burthen of my own love’s might
o, let my books be then the eloquence
And dumb presagers of my speaking breast
Who plead for love, and look for recompense
More than that tongue that more hath express’d.
O, learn to read what silent love hath writ
To hear with eyes belongs to love’s fine wit.”
William Shakespeare, Shakespeare’s Sonnets

A Toast to the Professor

The Pathway

Every year on January 3rd, Tolkien fans from around the world are invited to raise a glass and toast the birthday of this beloved author at 21:00 (9 pm) local time.

The toast is “The Professor.”

Home is behind, the world ahead,
And there are many paths to tread
Through shadows to the edge of night,
Until the stars are all alight.
Then world behind and home ahead,
We’ll wander back and home to bed.
Mist and twilight, cloud and shade,
Away shall fade! Away shall fade!” 


― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring